REGENT Business School (RBS) is one of the leading distance learning institutions in Africa. The institution’s philosophy of ‘Disrupt. Rethink. Innovate.’ well reflects its goal to transform higher education.

RBS focuses on adaptive learning, using technology not only to communicate information, but to improve curricula and adapt to different learning styles. RBS has embraced the “laboritorisation” of learning with innovative iLeadLABs, understanding that you can’t learn 21st-century skills in a 19th century classroom. This goal is reflected in RBS’s commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and research to ensure that students and organisations are provided with critical skills and the relevant management competencies.

International Academic and Research Linkages
RBS has established academic and research linkages with partner universities and research institutions in Africa, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and India. In addition, RBS is a member institution of the Pan African and Global Honoris United Universities Network.

These linkages ensure that the RBS staff, students and alumni are continually exposed to international best practices and expertise from academic, professional, private, public and civil society sectors from a range of countries across the globe. Consequently, RBS’s active research focus combined with the wealth of intellectual capital, its qualified and experienced lecturers, and specialised experience in delivering learning programmes, has allowed the institution to design and deliver effective higher education programmes for students both in the public and private sectors.

On Site and Distance Learning
RBS’s campuses are in all major hubs including Durban, Gauteng, Cape Town, East London and Pretoria, as well as in SADC countries, Swaziland and Namibia.

As many students are unable to attend full time campus programmes, RBS offers flexible delivery options. The supported distance-learning mode of delivery, carefully designed curricula as well as affordable fee structures make RBS programmes a preferred choice for persons in full-time employment in particular.

Accredited Study Choices
RBS offers an array of study choices, ranging from short courses and higher certificate programmes to MBAs, postgraduate qualifications, degrees, and diplomas. All degrees are locally accredited and internationally recognised. RBS recently received a major accolade with accreditation for the doctorate degree by the Department of Higher Education.

RBS’s programmes cover the areas of business administration, commerce, management and leadership, entrepreneurship, local government, educational management, finance, and human resource.

Bridging the Gap Between Learning and Work
RBS’s programmes are designed to be responsive to the current needs of commerce and industry in South and southern Africa, while being sensitive to the rapidly changing global business environment. In addition, graduates must be prepared to excel at jobs that do not yet exist.

One of the institution’s main objectives is to use the potential in information technology to drive RBS into a digital future using the institution’s Employability unit (iLeadLAB) to bridge the gap between education and the demands of the modern workplace.

The academic makerspaces or iLeadLAB’s combines formal discipline-centric education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) immersion, with work-integrated learning, and internship programmes. Through this unit, graduates acquire experiential learning of flexible in-demand skills, as well as acquire future-fit skills and experience, which reduces the education-job mismatch and increases employability. Graduates must be prepared to excel at jobs that do not yet exist. RBS meets this need by combining formal discipline-centric education with experiential learning.

Entrepreneurial Skills Development
The REGENT Enterprise Development Hub (REDhub) leverages the business school’s iLeadLABs. REDhub strives to promote impactful entrepreneurial skills development by nurturing resilient entrepreneurs, and supporting ideas and business concepts, to stimulate the growth of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). Entrepreneurs experience the entire process from rapid prototyping and development to finding funding and bringing products to market.

Alumni
The institution’s alumni base of 7000 is rapidly expanding. RBS’s annual student surveys show that RBS alumni hold executive and leading positions across Africa, the Middle East, Western Europe and Asia. Further, the current student population of RBS is very representative of the demographic of communities in South Africa and countries in the SADC region.