Student Support in Higher Education in Southern Africa

Globally, enrolment in institutions of higher learning has been on the rise since the mid-late 20th century ( UNESCO, 2012 ). This has resulted in higher education in the 21st century being marked by large, diversified student bodies with various cultural, technological, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds that impact how they engage with teaching and learning processes. In Southern Africa, the increase in enrolments across the higher education sector was mostly driven by post-independence educational reforms that led to previously un(der)served populations gaining access to these institutions. Across the region, the increased demand for higher education provision has therefore been celebrated and met with an increase in the number of public and private institutions reflecting national efforts to improve access to higher education, increase social mobility and human capital development ( Kotecha et al., 2012 ).