The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) has climbed five places to #2 in the world in the 2026 Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking, the leading global benchmark for sustainability and impact in MBA education. The UCT MBA also retains its place as #1 in Africa.
After two years in the global top 10, the UCT MBA this year finished ahead of Australia’s Griffith Business School, which had come first on the list for six consecutive years. Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics in the Netherlands took the #1 spot in the 2026 edition, which assessed 166 MBA programmes worldwide.
For Dr Catherine Duggan, Director (Dean) of the UCT GSB, the result reflects the environment where the school’s students learn to lead. “I like to say that doing business in Africa is like playing on ‘hard mode’—you’re managing the same things as executives in markets like North America or Europe, but in African markets you have to be more adaptable, more strategic, better able to navigate uncertainty and solve problems, and even more aware of the impact your decisions have on society and the environment. Some of the most interesting innovation in the world is happening in Africa, and we’re proud to help bring some of that approach to impact and innovation to the global stage. Our students learn to navigate complex and fast-changing environments while understanding that business performance is inseparable from the health of economic, social and environmental systems.”
The Better World MBA Ranking, compiled by Canadian sustainability research and media company Corporate Knights, evaluates programmes on two measures: the integration of sustainable development into compulsory MBA courses, which accounts for 80% of the score, and the impact of their graduates, which accounts for 20%. The weight the ranking gives to alumni impact—the share of recent graduates working in sustainability-related roles or at organisations with a social or environmental mission—was doubled this year, from 10% in 2025.
“I’m happy that the ranking now places more emphasis on what MBA graduates go on to do with their degrees,” noted Associate Professor Caitlin Ferreira, Programme Director for the Modular MBA, “since that’s the critical test and a particular strength of the UCT MBA. Our programme integrates sustainability and responsible leadership throughout the academic experience, from the core curriculum to the capstone project. Students work on real problems and hard questions faced by large corporations, small ventures and non-profit organisations, often alongside executives, entrepreneurs and decision-makers. The goal is to equip our graduates with the intellectual tools they need to interrogate complex systems, engage with competing interests and understand the long-term consequences of business decisions. We’re proud that so many of our alumni move into leadership roles where they are building more successful and resilient businesses while addressing significant social and environmental challenges.”
The 2026 ranking’s stronger focus on career outcomes reflects a broader change in the skills businesses are seeking in their leaders. Corporate Knights’ research on some of the world’s largest companies has shown that in recent years their sustainable revenue has grown twice as fast as their other revenues, and businesses around the world are confronting interconnected challenges including climate volatility, resource insecurity, geopolitical uncertainty and technological disruption. At the same time, employers are increasingly concerned that many MBA programmes may not be producing graduates who are prepared to lead at the intersection of sustainability and the responsible use of technology. Last month, a Corporate Recruiters Pulse Survey from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) found that recruiters in the US are questioning whether MBA programmes are preparing graduates to understand the risks and limitations of AI and to use the technology ethically and responsibly.
The UCT GSB has been a leader in developing graduates who understand sustainability, ethics and AI. “As artificial intelligence changes how businesses operate and make decisions, it raises important questions about responsible management,” explained Dr Wayne Moodaley, Programme Director for the Full-Time MBA. “AI can help organisations analyse information and make decisions more efficiently, but these benefits need to be weighed against potential environmental and social costs, as well as questions of errors, risk and accountability. Throughout the MBA, we teach students to evaluate these and other trade-offs, integrating sustainability and responsible management into core business decision-making.”
The ranking cements the UCT GSB’s position as the leading business school on the African continent and its commitment to shaping the leaders who shape the future. The UCT MBA retained its position as #1 in Africa in QS’s most recent ranking, and earlier this year Ferreira was named MBA Director of the Year by the London-based Association of MBAs (AMBA). The UCT GSB’s other programmes also lead in their fields: the UCT Executive MBA is ranked among the top 100 EMBAs globally by the Financial Times, #1 in Africa and the Middle East by QS, and #6 globally by CEO Magazine. The UCT GSB is also the only African member of the CEMS alliance, whose Master in International Management was ranked #4 globally in the 2027 edition of the QS Master’s in Management Rankings.