In line with its commitment to deliver powerful learning experiences for managers and leaders, the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has again been ranked by the esteemed UK Financial Times as the top provider of executive education, not only in South Africa but also across the African continent. GIBS moved up six places to 36 in this ranking.

This ranking not only affirms the School’s position as leading the way in delivering high-quality education on the continent, but unequivocally shows that GIBS is delivering learning experiences on par with other internationally acclaimed global providers. This year marks the 16th year in which GIBS is ranked among the top providers of executive education.

The overall ranking evaluates customised programmes for corporate clients (custom) and public programmes (open-enrolment). The FT ranking is based on survey responses from clients and participants, as well as data provided by business schools. This year, 80 business schools offering customised programmes and 75 offering open-enrolment programmes worldwide were ranked.

“GIBS strives to add value to its clients by providing globally competitive business and leadership development, making them more competitive in a rapidly shifting context,” says Professor Nicola Kleyn, Dean of GIBS. “Our climb in the FT ranking is a positive signal that GIBS is indeed delivering what clients expect, and that we are meeting the needs of business both for today and for the future.”

According to the ranking, GIBS stood out when it came to criteria such as:

• ‘Growth’, which looked at revenue growth for both custom and open programmes as well as repeat business, where the school ranked 5th and 13th respectively;
• With regards to the ‘Future use’ criterion, GIBS was ranked 26th in the world, with clients saying they were highly likely to reuse the school for other customised programmes in the future;
• GIBS’ commitment to diversity: The ranking highlights that 50% of open programme participants are women, and this has placed the school 19th in the world with regards to ‘female representation’;
• When it came to ‘faculty’, which looked at the quality of teaching, GIBS scored the near median of 37 out of 80 schools under open programmes; and
• In custom programmes, the school ranked 13th for ‘partner schools’, where some components of the teachings were delivered in conjunction with other Equis and ACCSB-accredited business schools. The school has partnered with schools such as Harvard Business School, giving delegates a holistic perspective of the global landscape.

Lerato Mahlasela, Executive Director: Custom Programmes at GIBS, said, “Organisations across the globe are being challenged to remain relevant, innovative, agile and responsible. They are continually looking to skill and sometimes even reskill their employees. Our inclusive portfolio of learning solutions, from custom skills programmes to academic qualifications, continues to support organisations in this regard. We are delighted that our efforts are once again recognised.”

Executive education gives executives an opportunity to hone their skill set and progress their careers to the next stage. The school aims to deliver learning that meets the challenges of the market and groom management talent to take on the challenges in the rapidly changing business environment. Through embracing innovation and digital transformation and keeping abreast of global trends, GIBS aims to continually enhance its offering.

About GIBS:

Founded in 2000, the University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) is an internationally accredited business school, based in Johannesburg, South Africa's economic hub. As the business school for business, we focus on general management in dynamic markets to significantly improve responsible individual and organisational performance, primarily in the South African environment and increasingly in our broader African environment, through the provision of high-quality business and management education. In June 2019, the annual UK Financial Times Executive Education rankings, a global benchmark for providers of executive education, once again ranked GIBS as the top South African and African business school. This is the 16th year running that GIBS has been ranked among the top business schools worldwide. In October 2018 the GIBS MBA was ranked among the top 100 business schools globally in the prestigious Financial Times Executive MBA Rankings. GIBS is the only business school in Africa to appear in this ranking.

GIBS is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and is a member of the South African Business Schools Association (SABSA), and the Association of African Business Schools (AABS). For more information, visit www.gibs.co.za.