South Africa Leads in Student Education Satisfaction, Outshining Nigeria, Egypt 

By Adeke Chukwuka

South Africa has outperformed Nigeria and Egypt in the 2023 Global Student Satisfaction Awards (GSSA) report, establishing itself as a leader in education. 

The report, which surveyed students from over 200 nationalities at 3,661 institutions, revealed that South Africa achieved an outstanding overall student satisfaction score of 3.98, surpassing the global average of 4.21. South African institutions excelled in enriching student life, scoring above the global average of 4.33, highlighting the country’s prominent position in education across Africa.

Moreover, South African universities stood out in the online classroom experience, achieving a score of 3.96, surpassing the global average of 3.86. Survey participants lauded the country’s remote and online degree programs, highlighting the support offered through WhatsApp study groups and the active engagement of lecturers.

Nigeria obtained an overall satisfaction score of 3.77, below the global average, primarily due to concerns about frequent and prolonged lecturer strikes, teaching quality, and available facilities. In contrast, respondents from South Africa identified crime as their primary challenge, leading to a lower score of 3.45 in the quality of student life category compared to the global average of 4.33.

Egypt showcased several commendable achievements but scored slightly below the global average after students mentioned that they often face hurdles in the career development prospects category.

Egypt demonstrated notable achievements but fell slightly below the global average due to challenges reported in the career development prospects category. The report highlighted Hungary as the country with the highest student satisfaction score (4.39).

The University of Navarra in Spain was recognized as the overall winner of the 2023 Global Student Satisfaction Awards. The GSSA, hosted by Studyportals in partnership with Unibuddy and the British Council IELTS (International English Language Testing System), provides insights into students’ experiences worldwide.