Henley Africa Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Overview

Newly launched in Africa, the Henley DBA programme is expected to play a key role in building the research excellence of Henley Business School Africa. Candidates will join a distinguished group of global peers. The quality of Henley’s DBA research is regularly praised as being of the highest quality by scholars with global reputations in their fields.

Henley’s global presence and reputation as a leading international business school are reflected in all aspects of its work – from our diverse academic staff to the fact that we draw participants from more than 140 countries. Furthermore, Henley has an international network of associates and collaborative partners and an alumni organisation with 100,000 members from more than 160 countries.

As a DBA research student, you will become a vital part of our community and will have opportunities to take part in our research centre activities. By pursuing original research in your specialist area, you can build expertise to contribute towards building African business and growing competitive advantage on the continent. You will also differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

What is a DBA?

The Henley DBA is a part-time, professional doctoral degree that is registered with SAQA and accredited by the Council on Higher Education. It is Africa-centric, internationally relevant and comes with a solid global reputation. The programme is designed to enhance executive and professional practice in an African business context through the application of sound theory and rigorous research into real and complex issues in business and management on the continent.

The DBA will improve your capability to develop and apply knowledge and theory. A key element of the DBA is a programme of personal development in the context of rigorous and relevant research.

LITERATURE REVIEW

An ability to critically evaluate the existing literature relevant to their thesis topic.

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PROJECT CONCEPTUALISATION

An ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of significant new knowledge and/or understanding.

EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH

An ability to relate theory and concepts to evidence in a systematic way and to draw appropriate conclusions based on evidence.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

An understanding of the place of the student’s research in the context of the relevant field of study.

ETHICAL AWARENESS

An understanding of research integrity and relevant ethical and professional considerations.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Effective project management, from identifying research questions, planning interim milestones and timescale, and prioritising activities to timely completion.

PRACTICE

A clear contribution to practice in the domain of the research, which may be at the individual, organisational, industry, policy or societal level.

IMPACT

An appreciation of the impact (interpreted in the broadest sense) of their research and how to exploit this.

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COMMUNICATION

An ability to communicate their findings clearly, constructing coherent arguments and articulating their ideas to a range of audiences using various techniques.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Personal growth and research development skills.

MANAGE THEMSELVES

Cultivate personal and research development skills, including self-awareness and the ability to identify their own training needs for current and future career development.

BUILD AND MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS

Build and maintain productive working relationships and co-operative networks with supervisors, colleagues, peers, and the wider research community.

Who should consider a DBA?

A typical student is an experienced business consultant or manager with at least five years’ experience and a minimum entry level of a Masters degree in a relevant discipline, typically with a research component.

A DBA from Henley Business School Africa will enhance professional capability and credibility. You will develop continental and global networks and build a firm foundation for further career development or a major career move. Employers benefit from supporting candidates for the DBA by attracting, developing and retaining key talent and building knowledge for competitive advantage.

The Henley DBA has both rigour and relevance as it contributes to theory and practice in business and management. The programme typically focuses on research ‘in’ organisations rather than research ‘on’ organisations and is often cross-disciplinary.

Programme structure

The Henley DBA has two distinct stages.

Stage 1

Preparatory coursework phase

This phase includes the following foundational modules:

- Introduction to Academic Research (MDD2IAR2) (15 credits)

- Introduction to Research Design and Methodology (MDD2RDM2) (15 credits)

- Introduction to Qualitative Techniques (MDD2QLA2) (15 credits)

- Introduction to Quantitative Techniques (MDD2QTA2) (15 credits)

- Finalising the Thesis – Contribution and Impact (MDD2RCI1) (Non-credit bearing).

Students are required to pass all the foundational modules to progress through the programme. These modules equip students with essential research skills and theoretical knowledge, which are assessed through various assignments and presentations. Additionally, students complete a Personal Development element (MDD2PDM1), which comprises a Personal Action Research Project (non-credit bearing). This project is specifically designed to focus on the development of personal, teaching, or consultancy competencies, enabling students to apply theoretical concepts to real-world professional contexts. The Personal Action Research Project typically culminates in a reflective report.

Stage 2

Thesis development phase

During this phase, students focus on advancing their research projects, including the presentation of their progress at formal research colloquia (mini conferences). This phase is critical for demonstrating the student's ability to conduct independent research that contributes to their field of study.

Students synthesise their findings and articulate the significance of their work, ensuring that their thesis demonstrates a distinct and original contribution to knowledge with clear, practical implications.

The culmination of this stage involves the submission of a thesis (300 credits), followed by a viva voce examination. The thesis must meet the programme's learning outcomes, demonstrating the student's capacity to create and interpret new knowledge through original research.

Support and supervision

Core support

The Director of the Henley Africa DBA Programme will oversee the overall academic content and quality of your programme and the DBA Programme Team will support you throughout the process from registration to graduation.

By registering, you will gain access to the Henley Business School Library, which has extensive facilities for undertaking research. This includes journals, textbooks and newspapers, plus previous doctoral theses and research articles. You will also be able to access the Online Library via the Henley Business School Africa website, giving you full-text access to thousands of journal articles, company financial reports and market-research reports.

Supervisors

Throughout the research process, you will have support and guidance from two supervisors. They will guide you through the research process to the submission of your thesis for examination at the viva.

Research topics

There are a number of DBA research topics across the various academic disciplines at Henley Business School. These have been organised by research areas. Proposals that align with one of the research topics listed below will be considered.

Research topics include but are not limited to:

- Reputation
- Leadership
- International business
- Consumer behaviour within an African context

Programme Information

Fees & funding

2026 DBA Fees

A price of R650,000 for the first four years and additional fees for years 5 and 6, respectively. Tuition fees for any additional years (years 5 and 6) of study will be charged at the rates applicable at the time of registration for the particular year. Please see below payment options with a breakdown of payment amounts due for the various options.

Option 1 – full payment upfront
- Total: R635,000
- Save R15,000
- Pay R635,000 once-off before October 2026

Option 2 – years 1–3 payment upfront
- Total: R642,500
- Save R7,500
- Pay R532,500 before October 2026
- Pay R110,000 in Year 4

Option 3 – years 1–2 payment upfront
- Total: R646,000
- Save R4,000
- Pay R426,000 before October 2026
- Pay R110,000 in Year 3
- Pay R110,000 in Year 4

Option 4 – annual payments
- Total: R650,000
- No discount
- Pay R215,000 before October 2026
- Pay R215,000 in Year 2
- Pay R110,000 in Year 3
- Pay R110,000 in Year 4

Additional registration beyond year 6 would require approval by the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Researcher Development and Postgraduate Research Studies and a continuation fee would apply. If you suspend your studies for any length of time, a fee that corresponds with the fee for the year you rejoin the programme will apply.

A learning partnership

The Henley DBA is underpinned by a core principle that students and staff work in a partnership. This partnership:

Is based on values of trust and respect
Is empowering and inclusive
Enables the collaborative development of meaningful change
Creates a sense of belonging to an academic community

How to apply

If you are seeking to enter the Henley Africa DBA programme, you'll be expected to have a Masters degree, together with at least five years of relevant experience.

To apply for the Henley DBA, please complete the online application form and provide the required documents. You will need to include one business reference and one academic reference. You will also need to provide a research proposal detailing your DBA research topic (1200–1800 words). You should consult the Research Proposal Notes document (available on request) before writing the proposal and must select a topic from one of Henley Business School’s research areas of expertise. Topics that are not part of Henley's existing academic areas of expertise will not be considered.

Entry requirements

Academic: Applicants should normally possess a Masters degree, typically with a research component.

Experience: Applicants must have a minimum of five years of middle to senior business management experience.

APEL: Where previous experience in research is deemed satisfactory, the prescribed period of study may be reduced to three academic years for applicants to part-time DBA study.

Research centres

Our teaching, learning and research align across the following research divisons:

The John Madejski Centre for Reputation Africa
A sister centre of the John Madejski Centre for Reputation focused on building sustainability and societal impact with respect to reputation and relationships in African businesses to drive sustainability and societal impact.

The Henley Africa Centre for Leadership
A sister centre of the Henley Centre for Leadership focused on recognising, developing, transforming and sustaining positive and optimistic leadership in Africa.

The Dunning Africa Centre
Straddling the fields of international business, strategic management, innovation and human resource management in African businesses.

The Centre for Emerging Market Consumer Studies
A Henley Africa research centre focused on studying and understanding the consumer behaviour of African consumers.

Henley Explore: Immersive Cases and Experiences
A pioneering research centre dedicated to developing case studies accompanied by virtual reality films that provide our delegates with an immersive experience within an African context.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact us by email or by phone.

Email: DBA.Admissions@henleysa.ac.za

Telephone: 011 808 0860 / 021 206 6330

The only international quadruple-accredited business school in Africa

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Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

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