South Africa has a total of 26 public universities in the country and every year, thousands of new students enter these institutions of higher learning. Before classes can commence, students have to register for the 2024 academic year.

Here Are the University Registration Dates for 2024

Sol Plaatje University

• Registration for the 2024 academic year takes place on these dates:
• First-time students: 6-17 February
• Residence arrival and registration for first-year residence students: 3-5 February 2
• Returning students: 23-17 February
• Residence arrival and registration for returning students: 18-19 February

University of the Western Cape

Online registration for the first semester is already open and will close on 10 February. First-year and first-time students will need to register by 3 February.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Online and on-campus registration for first-year CPUT students will open on Monday, 30 January.

Returning students (returning undergraduate studies including advanced diploma, postgraduate diploma programmes) will be able to register online or on-campus between 16 January and 3 February. 

Registration for retuning postgraduate students will be open from 16 January to 3 March.

Stellenbosch University

Registration dates for SU vary depending on the faculty you are registering for. Here are the general registration dates:

• 3 January 2024: Online and on-campus registration for returning undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences opens
• 16 January 2024: Online registration for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students opens
• 25 January 2024: Start of online registration for newcomer first-year students
• 6 – 7 February 2024: On-campus registration (NARGA) of newcomer first-years on Stellenbosch campus
• 7 – 9 February 2024: On-campus registration for senior students on Stellenbosch campus

Registration will close on 9 February for all students, excluding Master’s and Doctorate students

Click here to find your faculty registration schedule.

Rhodes University

Students will be able to register online from 17 January and can register on ROSS from 23 January.

Mangosuthu University of Technology

Registration for all students takes place between 30 January and 10 February.

Vaal University of Technology

VUT students will be able to register on the following dates:

• First-year students who have received full admission: 16-20 January
• Senior students: 18 January
• First-year students (matric learners awaiting final results): 25-30 January

Durban University of Technology

• First-year undergraduate students can register from 23 January – 03 February.
• New and returning undergraduate students can register from 16 January – 3 February.
• Dates for registration for full research postgraduate students (Master’s and Doctorates):
• New students: 16 January – 31 July
• Returning students: 16 January – 3 February
• Course work Master’s students can register from 16 January – 3 February.

Central University of Technology, Free State

Registration for all first-year and returning postgraduate students will take place online from 25-27 January and on 30 January.

Registration for senior students (from second year undergraduate including continuing and returning master’s and doctoral students) opens on these dates:

• Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and IT: 1 February
• Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences: 2 February
• Faculty of Management Sciences: 3 February
• Faculty of Humanities: 6 February
• Registration for all students will close on 10 February.

University of Johannesburg

Only online registration for UJ students will be allowed and takes place on the following dates:

• Returning students: 16 January – 10 February
• First-year undergraduate students: 20 January – 10 February

University of Pretoria

Online registration opened for students on 15 December 2023. New first-year students will be able to register from 24 January.

Tshwane University of Technology

TUT students can register on-campus from 20 January – 10 February and online from 20 January – 17 February.

Nelson Mandela University

Registration for all students opened on 11 January.

North West University

• Online registration for first-year students takes place from 23 January – 10 February.
• Online registration for senior students takes place from 30 January – 10 February.
• Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
• Registration for all returning students opened on 9 January and closes on 20 January.

University of The Free State

• First-year students: 6-17 February
• Senior students: 30 January – 17 February
• Postgraduate students: 30 January – 17 February (unless stated otherwise by your faculty)

University of the Witwatersrand

Online registration takes place from 3 January – 20 February. You can find the exact dates for your faculty here.

Sefako Makgatho University

Students are encouraged to attend an orientation programme on 2-3 February, but no official registration dates have been released. Students who have been accepted will be contacted by the university and informed of further steps.

University of Fort Hare

New and returning students will be able to register at both the Alice and EL campuses from 30 January.

University of Zululand

First-year students will need to register online from 30 January to 3 February.

University of Mpumalanga

UMP students will be required to register online only. Online registration for new students takes place between 6-10 February. Registration will be completed on a ‘first-come-first-serve’ basis, so acceptance into a programme will not guarantee enrolment.

University of Limpopo

UL registration will take place solely online. First-entering students will need to register between 26 January and 3 February. The deadline for late registration is 10 February.

*All universities are not listed in this article as information was unavailable.