TUT’s global footprint expands as Africa ranking soars

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) has achieved a major milestone in the 2026 Webometrics rankings, demonstrating a robust recovery and a clear upward trajectory.

Globally, the University climbed 63 positions from its 2025 standing to reach a rank of 1,732. This improvement reflects a 3.5% gain in visibility and research dissemination, firmly placing TUT within the top 6% of over 32,000 higher education institutions evaluated worldwide.

On the African continent, TUT’s performance has been even more remarkable. The University leaped from 43^rd place in 2025 to 38^th in 2026 - an impressive 11.6% improvement. This surge highlights the University’s strengthened research relevance and its increasingly dominant digital footprint across Africa. The data also indicates that TUT’s "internationalisation" agenda is yielding tangible results, making it a more competitive destination for scholars and students alike.

Despite these international gains, the national landscape remains highly competitive. TUT maintained a steady rank of 12^th  in South Africa for three consecutive years, before a marginal shift to 13^th position in 2026. Analysts note that this does not indicate a decline in TUT’s quality, but rather reflects the rapid pace of improvement among peer institutions. Staying within the top 15 ensures that TUT remains ahead of thirteen other traditional and research-intensive universities in the country.

Dr Vathi Papu-Zamxaka, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Engagement, emphasised that these results attest to the University's strategic focus.

"TUT’s consistent placement among the top 2 000 universities globally highlights its growing international digital presence and supports the University’s internationalisation agenda, reflecting renewed momentum in global visibility and research dissemination," said Dr. Papu-Zamxaka.

Looking ahead, TUT’s success is underpinned by gains in specific indicators like "Impact" (web visibility) and "Excellence" (high-impact citations). While the national ranking shift suggests that incremental progress is no longer enough to break into the top ten, the University’s structural strength provides a solid foundation. TUT is now poised to implement a more focused strategy to maintain its momentum and further amplify its scholarly influence on the world stage.