Gr-eight shakes: Henley named top MBA Business School in SA – again

Henley Business School Africa has cemented its position as the country's leading MBA provider, clinching the prestigious Diamond Arrow Award from PMR.africa for an unprecedented eighth year in a row. 

This accolade confirms that Henley's MBA graduates are consistently rated as the best in South Africa by the businesses that employ them.

‘The Henley MBA is actively shaping the future of leadership in Africa, and this ranking, which lets us know that our graduates are well received by African employers, means everything to us,’ says Lyneth Zungu, the newly appointed Director of the MBA programme at Henley Business School Africa.

She adds that sustained success in the ranking is a result of an emphasis on continuous improvement that guides the Henley MBA team.

‘Being number one for eight years straight isn't from resting on past laurels; it's about relentlessly reinventing what 'number one' even means. The real secret of sustained success isn’t just being good, but constantly getting better.’

Jon Foster-Pedley, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Reading and Dean of Henley Business School Africa says that while Henley’s MBA is not short on recognition – attracting top rankings and accreditations from the world’s most prestigious ranking bodies including the Financial Times and QS – the PMR.africa award is particularly important to the school because it reflects direct employer feedback in the local market on graduate performance.

‘The real measure of an MBA graduate is how effective they are in their workplaces. Learning is nothing if it doesn’t translate into leadership and impact.’

South African employers rank Henley Business School graduates highly

The PMR.africa survey is an annual national survey of 300 employers – including listed and large companies, national and provincial government – who evaluate MBA graduates they work with based on up to 20 different criteria, including academic knowledge of their industry, entrepreneurial skills, innovation and entrepreneurial flair, financial marketing, strategic management, environmental awareness, sustainable development, and ethical leadership.

As a top international business school with deep roots in the local context, Foster-Pedley says Henley’s mission has always been to build the people who build the businesses that build Africa. And more than that, he says the school is passionate about building leaders who can shake things up for the better.

‘We want to turn our students into change makers – be it for racial equity, equal pay, zero tolerance for corruption, decolonising education and workplaces, or fighting against debilitating climate change. These are the things that are going to make or break businesses of the future and it is important that our leaders are doing the right things on the front lines.’

The Henley Executive MBA is offered in two value-added formats the Flexible Executive MBA (structured over 30 months) and the Global MBA (structured over 24 months). The latter was introduced in the South African market in 2024 in a move designed to give African students more choice and flexibility.

Zungu explains, ‘We like to say Henley is the business school of choice that gives you choices. MBA candidates can now choose between the Flexible MBA, structured for maximum flexibility for those who want to keep costs lower and need to balance their MBA journey with family and work-life demands – while still gaining a globally recognised qualification – and the new Global MBA, a fast-tracked, intensive programme with a senior, multinational peer group that comes with five global study immersions in distinctive business hubs around the world including Singapore, Miami, Helsinki, London and Cape Town.

‘Both programmes result in a degree that is awarded in South Africa and the United Kingdom, and both draw on Henley’s experiential, practical learning approach and give candidates access to a powerful global alumni network. The main decision point is your career maturity, appetite for international immersion, and how much flexibility you need for your lifestyle and commitments.’