• Business is a fundamental aspect of human existence, and for Africa, business has been improving significantly. Investments have soared and opportunities are increasing as well. 

    Business schools have been instrumental in this, and as such their role in society is of huge importance. 

    Below are the best ten business schools in Africa:

    1. Lagos Business School - Nigeria 

    From its inception in 1991 when it started as the Center for Professional Communications, it has grown considerably and is now the best on the continent. It has grown from offering management courses important for the Nigerian business community to offering academic and executive programs. It now provides full-time MBA courses. 

    2. Gordon Institute of Business Science - South Africa 

    Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) is a South African business school which is an affiliate of the University of Pretoria. It has flagship programmes that include the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA/PHD). 

    GIBS also offers Executive Programmes: short courses, executive level programmes like the Global Executive Development & General Management Programmes, company-specific programmes. Extended Programmes are longer certificate programmes and include the Social Entrepreneurship Programme, Leading Women Programme and Nexus Leadership Programme.

    3. American University in Cairo School of Business - Egypt 

    AUC School of Business is a global institution with deeply rooted regional expertise and impact with the mission to develop entrepreneurial and responsible global leaders and professionals and the vision to be the leading knowledge hub with Arab region relevance and global influence.

    In 2013 the institution became the first business school from North Africa to be featured on the annual Financial Times' list of top institutions in the world as regards open enrolment and executive education. Proving its worth, and cementing its worth, the institution feaytured again on the list in 2016. 

    4. The University of Dar es Salaam Business School - Tanzania 

    Located on the main campus of the University of Dar es Salaam, it is one of the best business schools in Africa. The institution boasts of quality in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as extensive training and consultancy courses in business, entrepreneurship, and management. It is very reputable when it comes to business and management research in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

    5. Makerere University Business School - Uganda

    The institution started as Nakawa College of Business Studies when it came to life in the 1960s, and it merged with the Makerere University Faculty of Commerce in 1997. It provides  business and management education at the certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

    6. Wits Business School - South Africa 

    Wits Business School is under the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of Witwatersrand. It has been a constant feature in international rankings of business schools. Some of the programs which the business school offers are Senior Executive Programme run in partnership with Harvard Business School, an MBA and other Master’s business degree courses, as well as variety of short courses.

    7. Strathmore Business School - Kenya 

    Strathmore Business School is the graduate business school of Strathmore University, based in Nairobi, Kenya. It offers MBA and other postgraduate programs, as well as executive education programs. It was started in 2005 through a partnership between Strathmore University and IESE Business School. As part of Strathmore University, it is a private non-profit institution and a corporate work of Opus Dei, a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church. It was the first green business school in Africa.

    8. University of Ghana Business School - Ghana 

    The institution is one of the highly ranked in West Africa andh is a premier business school in the sub-region focused on developing world-class human resources and capabilities to meet national development needs and global challenges, through quality teaching, learning, research and knowledge dissemination.

    It offers an array of  undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programmes under its various academic departments, including the Department of Accounting, Department of Finance, Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, and Department of Operations and Management Information Systems.

    9. HEM Business School - Morocco 

    Morocco’s HEM [Institut des Hautes études de management] Business School is a top private business school with roles that include training of business managers, the creation of an added value in knowledge, know-how and know-how at the level of Moroccan companies, educating students on the values ​​of citizenship and citizenship, the scientific research, contribution to the overall development of the country. It also offers various master’s degrees and an MBA, with specialisations in Business Finance, Marketing, Accounting Control Audit, and Industrial Management.

    10. The United States International University-Africa Business School – Kenya

    The university offers various master’s level degrees, including Master in Business Administration, Executive Master of Science in Organisational Development, and the Global Executive Master of Business Administration. The school boasts several high profile alumni, including Vimal Shah, CEO of Bidco Africa, a multinational consumer goods giant based in Kenya.

    Header image credit: Africa.com