The development of distance education in South Africa: historical background and the University of South Africa

The University of South Africa celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Over this period it grew, becoming one of the largest tertiary distance education institutions and the largest university on the African continent.

South Africa always had a mixed racial population with each group having its own culture. This difference between people is further aggravated by differences in the level of “westernisation”. Furthermore, South Africa also suffers from an extreme urbanisation problem where on the one hand we find modern cities and on the other tribal groups. All these factors led to a differentiation of the population into a first world and third world component.

In 1858 the government of the Cape Colony decided to institute a board of public examiners in literature and science. The task was to set syllabuses and to set and conduct examinations at college level. In 1864 this board instituted a certificate which was equivalent to the British matriculation certificate. The board only conducted examinations, but offered no training. In 1873 the parliament of the Cape of Good Hope decided to establish the University of the Cape of Good Hope. The University still was an examining body only, which set syllabi, conducted examinations and held graduation ceremonies. Its degrees were recognised by the British Commonwealth.

This institution had to face some very adverse criticism from those who felt that a university can only function in a direct teaching situation, that it was too “foreign” (British) for the country and that it was a mere factory of certificates.