Students considered here are those who have crossed a national or territorial border for the purpose of education and are now enrolled outside their country of origin.
This is the latest available data, last updated by source in March 2022.
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Number of foreign students in South Africa 2019, by region
There were * foreign students in South Africa as of 2019, of which just over * were from Sub-Saharan Africa, the main region of origin. North America and Western Europe along with South and West Asia followed with around and *** students, respectively.
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UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (March 31, 2022). Number of foreign students in South Africa as of 2019, by region [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved August 03, 2026, from /statistics/1262516/number-of-foreign-students-by-region-in-south-africa/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. "Number of foreign students in South Africa as of 2019, by region." Chart. March 31, 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed August 03, 2026. /statistics/1262516/number-of-foreign-students-by-region-in-south-africa/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2022). Number of foreign students in South Africa as of 2019, by region. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: August 03, 2026. /statistics/1262516/number-of-foreign-students-by-region-in-south-africa/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. "Number of Foreign Students in South Africa as of 2019, by Region." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 31 Mar 2022, /statistics/1262516/number-of-foreign-students-by-region-in-south-africa/
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Number of foreign students in South Africa as of 2019, by region ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1262516/number-of-foreign-students-by-region-in-south-africa/ (last visited August 03, 2026)
Number of foreign students in South Africa as of 2019, by region [Graph], UNESCO Institute for Statistics, March 31, 2022. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1262516/number-of-foreign-students-by-region-in-south-africa/
