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From global legacy to African impact

For over 80 years, Henley Business School has been developing leaders worldwide. As Henley Business School Africa, we bring that formidable global heritage and academic rigour directly to this continent. Our journey is one of partnership, growth, and an unshakeable commitment to building a prosperous, sustainable, and equitable future for Africa.

We are proud to be the first quadruple-accredited international business school in Africa

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The Henley journey: From pioneer to African leader

Our global heritage and academic roots

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Henley Business School began in the 1940s, born out of Britain’s post-Second World War determination to rebuild the economy. The goal was simple but ambitious: bring together demobilised officers and leaders from the public and private sectors to exchange ideas for 'mutual advantage'. It was about developing the skills needed for a new era, ensuring that management was grounded in real-world co-operation and future-readiness. 

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Joining the University of Reading and a new era of 
academic power

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Throughout the 1990s, we expanded our academic portfolio to include undergraduate degrees, merging the worlds of theory and practice. In 2008, Henley Management College merged with the University of Reading. This partnership allowed us to offer a full portfolio of business education, supported by the research power of a world-renowned university, while maintaining our unique focus on management practice.

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Evolution and global reach

As the world changed, so did Henley. We launched our first Masters, MPhil, and PhD programmes in the 1970s, moving into the space of high-level management education. By 1985, the Henley MBA was born. This decade also saw a shift toward inclusivity, with some of the first scholarships made available for women in management and headteachers. Over the next decade, Henley truly went global, introducing the MBA to Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, and, crucially for our purposes, South Africa.

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Meeting the needs of a changing world

Henley Africa’s journey started over three decades ago, and today we sit at the heart of the continent’s business hub in Paulshof, Johannesburg. We are proud to be the first international business school in Africa to hold quadruple accreditation (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB, and AABS) putting us in the top 1% of business schools globally. These accreditations are a licence to operate and support our core mission: filling the management capability gap left after years of inequality, so that African businesses can grow sustainably and create jobs. We continue to evolve to meet the needs of a changing world. In 2025, we launched the Henley DBA in Africa, completing our full learning pathway from NQF Level 5 to NQF Level 9. Our focus today is on ensuring our students are not just 'future-ready', but 'future-active'. 

 

Our compass is Africa

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A movement to build Africa

Today, Henley Business School Africa is more than a school; it is a movement. Ranked as the Number One MBA Business School in South Africa for nine years in a row by pmr.africa, we are here to ensure that entrepreneurs flourish, businesses innovate, and the African economy grows through the power of skilled, ethical, and authentic leadership.

Explore our programmes

Whether you are looking to advance your own career or develop your organisation's talent, our Ladder of Learning offers a seamless, step-by-step pathway from post-matric all the way to a DBA.

DBA

Doctor of Business Administration

Build new knowledge in Africa:
A UK-awarded doctoral degree for practitioners who want to contribute something new to the knowledge of how organisations work. For the right individuals – experienced leaders with a question worth years of disciplined inquiry – there is nothing quite like it.

Global Executive MBA

Master of Business Administration

The only Executive MBA in South Africa ranked in the Financial Times in 2025. A world-class qualification for global leaders with five global immersions. Graduate in the UK and South Africa.

Flexible Executive MBA

Master of Business Administration

Those who benefit most from an MBA are, almost by definition, the people who can least afford to pause their lives to do one. That’s why we designed the Flexible Executive MBA to run alongside a full professional life – not instead of it.

PGDip

Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice

Gain the skills to manage complexities in the working environment along with the confidence that comes from being challenged.

ADMP

Advanced Diploma in Management Practice

The strategic turn. At some point in a management career, the game changes. It stops being about doing things well and starts being about deciding which things should be done at all. The ADMP marks that transition.

ACMP

Advanced Certificate in Management Practice

Growing influence and authority. Build communication confidence, sharpen operational understanding, and develop the kind of judgement that lets people lead through change rather than just survive it.

HCMP

Higher Certificate in Management Practice

The beginning of something real. Formalise what you already know from your working experience and add to what you don't yet know. Gain a qualification that proves both. It's practical and workplace relevant.

WRP

Work Readiness Programme

For young people who want to start their career properly, not accidentally. If you are impatient to get your career started, or have decided that the traditional first year of an undergraduate degree is not the most useful way to spend 12 months of your life, then this is your programme.

Our mission in action

Our story isn’t just about our past; it’s about the impact we are making today. Explore these insights from our faculty, leaders, and community, all focused on our mission of building a prosperous, sustainable, and ethical Africa.
Sustainability Innovation News
8 min read

Just IMAGINE If... invites African ideas to solve global challenges

Newly launched University of Reading scheme is seeking sustainable business ideas from across its global community to help make the world a better place.

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Henley Press Office
07 Apr 2026
Global Future-ready News
8 min read

Henley Africa celebrates the University of Reading's centenary

Henley staff and students joined colleagues and supporters across the world to celebrate its parent university's 100th birthday in the time-honoured way: with cake and dancing.

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Henley Press Office
17 Mar 2026
News
8 min read

Africa’s MBAs are redefining sustainable leadership – and the world is taking notice

Henley Business School leaps 27 places to 17th in the 2025 Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking, as South Africa emerges as a global powerhouse in responsible business education.

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Henley Press Office
26 Nov 2025