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City · South Africa

Research in Pretoria

Science Explorer records 75 research institutions in Pretoria, South Africa. The highest-ranked on research quality in 2022–2025 are University of South Africa, University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology.

Research institutions
75
15 of them ranked worldwide
Research works
118k
▲ 12% vs 2013–17
Top-10% rate, 2022–2025
21.2%
record average 16.5%

A city carries no overall standing here. The composite score is built for institutions and countries, the units its floors and field normalisation were designed around. An empty rank on this page is a statement about the measure, not about the place.

Which research institutions are in Pretoria?

#InstitutionWorksAgainst the largest hereWorld rank
1University of PretoriaUniversity 49,319 #691
2University of South AfricaUniversity 30,946 #470
3Tshwane University of TechnologyUniversity 8,688 #1,904
4Council for Scientific and Industrial ResearchGovernment institution 7,243 #5,346
5Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences UniversityUniversity 2,522 #2,898
6Human Sciences Research CouncilNonprofit 2,237 #10,654
7Agricultural Research Council of South AfricaGovernment institution 1,665 #9,060
8South African National Biodiversity InstituteResearch facility 1,397 #14,911
9Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic HospitalHospital / health system 1,354 #15,764
10Onderstepoort Veterinary InstituteResearch facility 1,256 #12,696
11Zuid-Afrikaans HospitalHospital / health system 990 #23,962 all time
12Department of HealthGovernment institution 954 #11,052
13Foundation for Professional DevelopmentNonprofit 822 #24,662
14South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (South Africa)Company 814 #9,028 all time
15National Research FoundationNonprofit 796 #6,093
16South African National ParksGovernment institution 686 #21,886
17Animal Production InstituteResearch facility 644 #27,291
18Council for GeoscienceGovernment institution 638 #15,728 all time
19Steve Biko HospitalHospital / health system 578 #19,074
20South African Reserve BankInstitution 467 #36,321 all time
21Institute for Soil, Climate and WaterResearch facility 420 #23,143 all time
22South African Environmental Observation NetworkResearch facility 345 #16,804
23South African National Space AgencyGovernment institution 282 #22,186
24Government of South AfricaGovernment institution 276 #23,462
25Water Research CommissionGovernment institution 274 #32,539 all time
26South African Weather ServiceGovernment institution 271 #17,835 all time
27Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural DevelopmentGovernment institution 251 #22,148
28Department of Correctional ServicesGovernment institution 211 #38,560 all time
29Department of Science,Technology and InnovationGovernment institution 195 #20,289 all time
30National Metrology Institute of South AfricaResearch facility 192 #27,262 all time
31Kalafong HospitalHospital / health system 187 #38,449 all time
32National Zoological Gardens of South AfricaArchive 180 #35,988 all time
33International Water Management InstituteResearch facility 161 #24,869 all time
34Institute for Security StudiesUniversity 143 #38,099 all time
35Academy of Science of South AfricaGovernment institution 108 not ranked
36South African Medical AssociationNonprofit 102 not ranked
37Bronberg ObservatoryResearch facility 80 not ranked
38Life Groenkloof HospitalHospital / health system 79 not ranked
39Institute for Global DialogueInstitution 65 not ranked
40Akademie Reformatoriese Opleiding en StudiesUniversity 60 not ranked
41Southern African Catholic Bishops ConferenceInstitution 58 not ranked
42National TreasuryGovernment institution 57 not ranked
43Weskoppies Psychiatric HospitalHospital / health system 55 not ranked
44Setshaba Research CentreInstitution 47 not ranked
45Optimed Eye and Laser ClinicHospital / health system 30 not ranked
46Armscor (South Africa)Company 21 not ranked
47National Library of South AfricaArchive 18 not ranked
48Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis NetworkInstitution 14 not ranked
49Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the EnvironmentGovernment institution 13 not ranked
50Cranefield CollegeUniversity 11 not ranked
51Netcare Jakaranda HospitalHospital / health system 11 not ranked
52Geoterra Image (South Africa)Company 9 not ranked
53Department of Arts and CultureGovernment institution 9 not ranked
54Climate Resilience Infrastructure Development FacilityResearch facility 9 not ranked
55Open Window School of Visual CommunicationUniversity 8 not ranked
56UmalusiInstitution 8 not ranked
57South African National AIDS CouncilGovernment institution 8 not ranked
58South African Veterinary FoundationNonprofit 7 not ranked
59Restorative Justice CentreNonprofit 6 not ranked
60National Heritage CouncilArchive 6 not ranked

By fractional works over the whole record; world rank on research quality in 2022–2025. Bars are scaled to the largest institution in this city, not to anything off the page.

How concentrated the city is

The same institutions as shares of everything the list accounts for. A city that is one university and a city that is twelve read alike as a table and not at all alike here.

University of Pretoria: 41.7%University of South Africa: 26.2%Tshwane University of Technology: 7.3%Council for Scientific and Industrial Research: 6.1%56 others listed: 18.7%42%largest
University of Pretoria49k · 41.7%University of South Africa31k · 26.2%Tshwane University of Technology8,688 · 7.3%Council for Scientific and Industrial Research7,243 · 6.1%56 others listed22k · 18.7%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

What is Pretoria strongest at in research?

Relative to its size, research in Pretoria is most concentrated in Religious studies, Archeology and Library and Information Sciences (10.5× the world share in Religious studies).

  1. Religious studiesSubfield · 438.6 works10×
  2. ArcheologySubfield · 35.2 works9.2×
  3. Library and Information SciencesSubfield · 21.5 works4.5×
  4. Research and TheorySubfield · 28.1 works4.3×
  5. Public AdministrationSubfield · 55.3 works4.1×
  6. Business and International ManagementSubfield · 99.2 works3.8×
  7. Safety ResearchSubfield · 261.3 works3.8×
  8. DevelopmentSubfield · 87.9 works3.5×
← less than its size predictsmore →

Location quotient against the world baseline. Inside a single field a city is a meaningful unit, which is why this is where a city is measured at all.

Which keywords describe research in Pretoria?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Colonialism, Higher Education, Globalization, Human Rights, Sustainability, Climate Change, Social Justice and Development.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this city's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Sustainability928▲ 1.52×111 topics
  2. Globalization922▲ 1.87×142 topics
  3. Climate Change884▲ 1.31×110 topics
  4. Epidemiology793▼ 0.80×133 topics
  5. Human Rights719▲ 2.8×67 topics
  6. Higher Education586▲ 4.3×30 topics
  7. Colonialism581▲ 4.9×36 topics
  8. Mental Health557▲ 1.51×43 topics
  9. Environmental Impact534▲ 1.25×66 topics
  10. Economic Growth480▲ 2.2×33 topics
  11. Social Justice478▲ 3.2×43 topics
  12. Supply Chain Management410▲ 1.75×25 topics
  13. Social Capital410▲ 3.1×20 topics
  14. Development401▲ 4.6×21 topics
  15. Religion354▲ 3.0×35 topics
  16. Nationalism315▲ 2.7×28 topics
  17. South Africa311▲ 46×4 topics
  18. Environmental Governance306▲ 19×5 topics
  19. Equality296▲ 20×5 topics
  20. Public Participation288▲ 51×3 topics
  21. Inequality284▲ 5.0×14 topics
  22. Judicial Review282▲ 12×5 topics
  23. Constitutionalism280▲ 12×4 topics
  24. NGOs278▲ 11×5 topics
  25. Consumer Protection277▲ 25×3 topics
  26. Legal Research277▲ 8.4×3 topics
  27. Postcolonialism275▲ 8.8×17 topics
  28. Developmental Local Government274▲ 99×1 topic
  29. Socio-Economic Rights274▲ 99×1 topic
  30. Poverty Reduction258▲ 7.8×6 topics
  31. Race251▲ 8.9×16 topics
  32. African Christianity245▲ 44×2 topics
  33. Decolonization240▲ 12×8 topics
  34. Gender-based Violence229▲ 16×3 topics
  35. Humanitarianism206▲ 13×3 topics
  36. International Aid204▲ 17×2 topics
  37. Indigenous Knowledge Systems202▲ 26×3 topics
  38. Welfare200▲ 15×3 topics
  39. African Philosophy197▲ 72×1 topic
  40. Ubuntu197▲ 72×1 topic

What research is done in Pretoria?

  1. 1 Legal Issues in South Africa Law 274 works
  2. 2 African cultural and philosophical studies Education 197 works
  3. 3 South African History and Culture Sociology and Political Science 186 works
  4. 4 Religion, Society, and Development Sociology and Political Science 173 works
  5. 5 Christian Theology and Mission Religious studies 161 works
  6. 6 Biblical Studies and Interpretation Religious studies 139 works
  7. 7 African studies and sociopolitical issues Sociology and Political Science 128 works
  8. 8 Online and Blended Learning Education 115 works
  9. 9 Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare Safety Research 105 works
  10. 10 Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences Management of Technology and Innovation 96 works

Research output over time

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more.