STUDY ABROAD IN SOUTH AFRICA

Apart from boasting one of the best educational systems in the African continent, there are many other factors that make South Africa feature in the list of possible options for students who are evaluating study abroad programs.

The medium of education is English, which makes it accessible to a majority of students. At the same time, if one has the yearning, he or she may chose to learn the local languages like Afrikaans and Zulu. The cost of study and the living expenses are not high and this is one big positive factor that makes students who want to study abroad turn to South Africa. There has been a significant growth in the population of international students in the last ten years and it is now among the top 20 host countries for international students who want to study abroad.

The education system in South Africa has been completely revamped, right from basic schooling to higher education. This has lead to an influx of international students who want to study abroad. There are eleven ‘universities’ and six ‘universities of technology’ that provide vocational qualification along with some postgraduate programs. There are six ‘comprehensive universities’ that mainly focus on teaching but at the same time, they also have the facilities to conduct research and run some postgraduate programs. Some of the well-known universities that are popular among students who want to study abroad are Stellenbosch University, The University of Cape Town, Rhodes University and University of Witwatersrand (one of the largest English language universities). For students who are looking for study abroad scholarships, it would be heartening to note that most of the universities also offer scholarships, grants and other kinds of financial assistance.

Nationals of some commonwealth countries do not require a visa if they are visiting for less than 90 days. All students, including students who want to spend their high school summer abroad, high school study abroad, degree seeking, semester abroad, summer study abroad and exchange students require study permit to study for a duration that is longer than three months. The documents that are required for application for study permit are:
· An official letter from the university confirming provisional acceptance and duration of the course.
· Medical and radiological reports (less than six months old)
· Yellow fever vaccinations certificate if relevant
· Relevant certificate if married, widowed, divorced or separated
· Proof of medical insurance cover recognized in South Africa
· Details regarding arranged accommodation, if any
· Proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition fees, maintenance and incidental cost
· A Police clearance certificate (less than six months old)
· A deposit (a cash amount not exceeding the cost of a single ticket to the applicant’s country of origin)
· The documents must be originals or certified copies

It takes anywhere between 3 days to ten weeks, depending on the country of origin, for a visa to be issued. The visa fee can range from US $0-150, depending on the country of origin and the duration of stay. One can contact the local South African Consulate for any other details or clarifications.

South Africa provides many options for recreation. It is a beautiful country that has been endowed with beaches and mountains and offers a number of water sports, safaris and parks. It also boasts of the world’s tallest bungee jump. Johannesburg is Africa's leading commercial city. Durban, a coastal city, is known for its progressive history and international politics whereas Cape Town is known for the beauty of historical buildings and also offers a peek into history of apartheid. Apart from academic learning, students who want to study abroad can benefit a lot from the experience of living in South Africa’s multicultural and diverse cities.

So if you are one of those students who are looking for study abroad programs, South Africa should be one of the destinations that should be evaluated.