Rethinking Race-Conscious Higher Education Policy: Lessons from South Africa

• In Event: Identity, Relationships, and Equity in Higher Education: Aspirations, Policy, and Lived Experience

Proposal

With U.S. universities occupying outsized positions in global rankings and reputation, American legal developments often set powerful precedents – or deterrents – for policy makers in other countries In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court prohibited affirmative action in college admissions through its ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. This decision was not merely a domestic legal event; it reverberated across the global policy landscape. In education systems where racial or ethnic disparities persist, the court’s rejection of race-conscious admissions has emboldened critics of affirmative action and cast doubt on its legitimacy (Kahlenberg, 2023; Zisk, 2024).
 
This paper confronts that narrative by turning to South Africa – a country that, far from abandoning affirmative action, has deepened its commitment to it (Author, 2019; Author & et al., 2021; Cloete, 2014). In post-apartheid South Africa, policies promoting racial equity in higher education are foundational to national development and democratic redress (Africa, 2006; Badat, 2009; Cloete & Moja, 2005). The research explores whether these policies have measurably advanced equity, particularly in terms of college enrollment and completion, and lessons for advancing equity in higher education globally.
 
Literature Review
 
Affirmative Action in Comparative Perspective
 
Affirmative action has taken varied forms globally. In the U.S., the policy has primarily rested on legal justifications tied to diversity and equal protection under the law (Bowen & Bok, 1998; Garces, 2013; Garces & Corgburn, 2015). While it has led to modest gains in representation, its legal foundations have become increasingly tenuous, culminating in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard's dismantling of race-based admissions. Meanwhile, countries like Brazil, India, and Malaysia have adopted broader redistributive frameworks for affirmative action, justified more explicitly as historical redress (Moses, 2010; Poon, 2024; Poon et al., 2019; Subramanian, 2015).
 
South African Context
 
In South Africa, the legacy of apartheid’s racially stratified education system necessitated proactive state intervention. Policies such as the White Paper on Higher Education (1997), the National Plan for Higher Education (2001), and successive expansions of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) were implemented to increase access for Black African, Colored, and Indian populations. Researchers have debated the pace and extent of transformation. While some highlight gains in access and enrollment (Cloete, 2014), others emphasize ongoing institutional resistance and unequal outcomes (Author, 2019; Letseka & Maile, 2008; Soudien, 2010).
 
Theoretical Frameworks
 
This study draws on three interrelated theoretical frameworks – critical policy analysis (CPA), intersectionality, and Southern theory – to examine South Africa’s race-conscious higher education policies through a global, historical, and justice-centered lens. CPA interrogates how policy texts reflect and reproduce power relations, ideologies, and historical legacies such as apartheid and post-1994 nation-building (Apple, 2019; Gale, 2001; Taylor, 1997; Young et al., 2018). Intersectionality, rooted in Black feminist thought, highlights how race, class, gender, and geography intersect to shape access and exclusion, exposing the limits of one-dimensional equity policies (Collins & Blige, 2020; Crenshaw, 1991; Tefera et al., 2018). Southern theory rejects the dominance of Northern epistemologies, positioning the South as a producer of theory and justice-centered policy (Banerjee & Connell, 2018; Connell, 2020). South Africa’s refusal to adopt neoliberal merit discourses in favor of transformation-oriented frameworks offers critical insights into global affirmative action debates (Epstein & Morrell, 2012).
 
Mode of Inquiry
 
This study employs a mixed-methods convergent parallel design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018) to examine equity in post-apartheid South African higher education. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 2003, 2023; Van Dijk, 2015), national policy texts are analyzed for narratives on race, class, and gender. Quantitative analysis draws on the PALMS dataset (1994–2020), applying logistic regression with intersectional interaction terms (Agresti, 2002; Beteille et al., 2016; DiPrete & Eirich, 2006). Findings are synthesized through a convergent approach (Fetters et al., 2013; Moseholm & Fetters, 2017).
 
Findings
Gains in Enrollment and Completion for Historically Disadvantaged Groups
From 1995 to 2020, Black African student enrollment in higher education increased substantially, from 40% to 73%, marking significant progress in representational access. Logistic regression results indicate that post-2010 cohorts, following the expansion of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), had significantly higher odds of enrolling in and completing tertiary qualifications compared to pre-2000 cohorts, even after controlling for household income. These findings suggest that race- and class-conscious policies have measurably expanded access for marginalized groups, disrupting long-standing racial exclusion (Africa, 2006; Cloete, 2014).
Socio-Economic Status Remains a Key Structural Barrier
Despite improved racial representation, socio-economic status (SES) strongly influences outcomes. Higher household income and parental education correlate positively with degree completion across all races. Among Black African students, a 28-percentage-point completion gap exists between the highest and lowest income quartiles, revealing persistent structural inequalities. Low-income, first-generation students face ongoing challenges such as academic under-preparedness and financial insecurity, highlighting the need for holistic support beyond access (Author, 2019; Hallett et al., 2023; Perez & Kezar, 2025).
Gendered and Intersectional Disparities Persist
Women now outnumber men in enrollment, yet low-income Black women from rural areas have the lowest completion rates. Policy documents rarely acknowledge intersectional disparities, limiting equity reform effectiveness. Addressing these gaps requires intentional policy and institutional strategies that consider race, class, gender, and geography as interconnected factors shaping educational outcomes (Collins & Blige, 2020; Epstein & Morrell, 2012; Tefera et al., 2018).
Contribution
 
This study demonstrates that sustained, well-resourced affirmative action policies significantly advance representation for marginalized groups in South African higher education, contributing empirical evidence to debates on equity. It reveals the limits of access-only approaches and stresses the importance of addressing completion, institutional culture, and structural barriers for meaningful progress (Author, 2019; Hallett et al., 2023; Perez & Kezar, 2025). By embedding intersectionality into policy analysis, the study highlights the compounded disadvantages faced by low-income Black women from rural areas, urging targeted, nuanced interventions (Collins & Blige, 2020; Epstein & Morrell, 2012; Tefera et al., 2018). Importantly, amid uncertainty over viable approaches for advancing equity in higher education globally, this research challenges Global North-centric frameworks by positioning South Africa as an illuminating case for contextually grounded equity policy, offering critical insights for global debates.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Author

• Tafadzwa Tivaringe, The Spencer Foundation