ASAUK 2018

In 2018 all of the universities in South Africa created prior to the apartheid-era constructs will mark centenaries as (differing) forms of teaching institutions. This milestone has possibly been overshadowed by the prospect of now having to provide 'free education' for a majority of new and registered students in 2018. This paper will firstly describe the evolution of higher education in South Africa and secondly anaylse the impact of the changed conditions and circumstances of the post-1994 period that have given rise to the current malaise. Special reference will be made to the University of South Africa (Unisa), the country's and Africa's largest Distance Learning Institution.