Subfield · Anthropology · South Africa
Anthropology research in South Africa
University of the Witwatersrand ranks first in South Africa for Anthropology research in 2022–2025 (#5 worldwide), followed by University of Johannesburg and University of Cape Town.
- South Africa's world rank
- #10 of 44 countries, 2022–2025
- Works, 2022–2025
- 1k
- Top-10% rate
- 25.9%
- Ranked institutions
- 7
Research strength only: this says nothing about teaching, admissions or cost.
What is the best university for Anthropology in South Africa?
| # | Institution | World rank | Score | Top-10% rate | Works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburg | #5 | 68.0 | 34.1% | 130 |
| 2 | University of JohannesburgJohannesburg | #8 | 58.7 | 25.2% | 127 |
| 3 | University of Cape TownRondebosch | #12 | 50.6 | 33.4% | 89 |
| 4 | University of South AfricaPretoria | #48 | 23.0 | 26.0% | 81 |
| 5 | Stellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch | #62 | 18.0 | 22.5% | 79 |
| 6 | University of PretoriaPretoria | #65 | 17.0 | 25.0% | 86 |
| 7 | University of the Free StateBloemfontein | #74 | 14.4 | 22.1% | 77 |
Institutions in South Africa above the floor of 40 fractional works in Anthropology, ordered by their worldwide rank on research quality, 2022–2025.
Who are the top Anthropology researchers in South Africa?
Achille Mbembé, Lyn Wadley and Thaddeus Metz rank highest among researchers based in South Africa.
- 1Achille Mbembé#27,686 worldwide overall198 citations · 7 works
- 2Lyn Wadley#33,085 worldwide overall456 citations · 14 works
- 3Thaddeus Metz#43,385 worldwide overall275 citations · 7 works
- 4Bill Freund#53,836 worldwide overall183 citations · 19 works
- 5J. D. Lewis‐Williams#60,105 worldwide overall262 citations · 11 works
- 6Isabel Hofmeyr#64,937 worldwide overall120 citations · 11 works
- 7Francis B. Nyamnjoh#67,275 worldwide overall146 citations · 9 works
- 8Ian Phimister#72,499 worldwide overall137 citations · 15 works
- 9John Parkington#74,706 worldwide overall287 citations · 16 works
- 10Lee R. Berger#77,699 worldwide overall276 citations · 12 works
- 11Thomas N. Huffman#80,185 worldwide overall187 citations · 10 works
- 12Phillip V. Tobias#89,053 worldwide overall128 citations · 7 works
- 13Judith Sealy#90,600 worldwide overall268 citations · 7 works
- 14I. Schapera#94,281 worldwide overall132 citations · 14 works
- 15Johannes van Oort#104,074 worldwide overall47 citations · 11 works
How South Africa compares with other countries in Anthropology