Women's University in Africa

What Women's University in Africa does

Women's University in Africa (WUA) is a private higher education institution founded in 2002 and headquartered at 549 Arcturus Road, Harare, Zimbabwe. It operates a single campus serving 5,547 current students through three faculties — Management and Entrepreneurial Sciences, Agricultural Environmental and Health Sciences, and Social and Gender Transformative Sciences — offering 28 undergraduate programmes, 15 Master's programmes and 3 PhD research areas. Since inception the institution has produced 17,279 graduates and runs 2026 intakes in March and August. Its core proposition is gender-equity-focused higher education, enforced through an 85% women and 15% men enrollment policy aligned with the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development and the Constitution of Zimbabwe, supported by dedicated Gender and Diversity, STEM and Inclusive Education centres.

The operating model is tuition-driven. Revenue mechanics combine a subscription-recurring tuition stream (requiring at least 60% upfront payment, with late-registration penalties) with one-time examination, transcript reprint and administrative fees. Distribution is direct-to-student via a sales-led enrollment motion: a website (wua.ac.zw), an online application portal (apply.wua.ac.zw), and recruitment campaigns such as 'Enrol A Student Campaign'. The technology stack consists of university information systems including myWUA (student portal), myHope (student information system) and myStudentID, integrated with Microsoft Office 365 for webmail; no proprietary platform, API or AI capability is offered.

Go-to-market targets four segments: women in Zimbabwe and the SADC region (primary), general undergraduate cohorts, postgraduate researchers served through the Research Innovation and Postgraduate Centre (RIPG), and international students drawn via partnerships including an Association of African Universities Southern African Regional Office affiliation and a Brazil MOU signed by the Vice Chancellor. The institution is privately held, classifies as for-profit in firmographic data, has no disclosed parent company, no subsidiaries, and no funding rounds on record; ownership and governance are likely board-led but are not publicly itemised.

Name

Women's University in Africa

Legal name

Women's University in Africa

Website

https://wua.ac.zw

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Women's University in Africa is a private Harare-based higher education institution founded in 2002, offering 28 undergraduate, 15 Master's and 3 PhD programmes to roughly 5,547 students under an 85% women enrollment policy. It generates revenue primarily through tuition and examination fees distributed via direct-to-student enrollment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Nonprofit HBCUs (EDAHAMAB)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Women's university education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Postgraduate master's degrees
• Doctoral research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Harare

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: University tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Registration requires payment of at least 60% of total fees. Late registration penalties apply. First semester 2026 runs from 2 February 2026 to 27 May 2026 with normal registration from 12 January to 17 February 2026.
2. Examination and Administrative Fees: Fees for special examinations, certificate and transcript reprint services, and late registration penalties. Special examination provision for unregistered students with outstanding tuition fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Women's University in Africa is a private higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, master's, and PhD programmes across three faculties to approximately 5,547 students under a gender-focused enrollment policy reserving 85% of seats for women. It sells tuition-funded academic instruction and credential-bearing degree programs in Zimbabwe, supported by digital student portals for enrollment, identity, and information management.

Product overview

Women's University in Africa is a higher education institution established in 2002, operating as a single unified university offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs across three faculties: Faculty of Management and Entrepreneurial Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Environmental and Health Sciences, and Faculty of Social and Gender Transformative Sciences. The institution also provides research and postgraduate studies through its Research Innovation and Post Graduate Centre (RIPG), and operates specialized centers including the Gender and Diversity Center, STEM Centre, Centre for Inclusive Education, and Library services. Student support is delivered through digital portals (myWUA, MyHope, myStudentID). The university does not offer technology products, SaaS platforms, or AI-powered software solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RIPG Centre: Research Innovation and Postgraduate Centre - focuses on fostering academic research and innovation among postgraduate students
• Centre for Inclusive Education
• STEM Centre
• Gender and Diversity Center
• myWUA
• myHope

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programmes
• Master's Degree Programmes
• PhD Research Programmes
• Faculty of Management and Entrepreneurial Sciences
• Faculty of Agriculture, Environmental & Health Sciences
• Faculty of Social and Gender Transformative Sciences

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,547 current students enrolled
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Association of African Universities (AAU)coreOthersThe university is affiliated with AAU SARO (Association of African Universities Southern African Regional Office) and participates in AAU events. The Vice Chancellor was involved in AAU activities including signing MOU in Brazil.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• United States International University - Africa (USIU-Africa): Private Kenyan university offering undergraduate and graduate programs with an international orientation. Comparable in scale, program breadth, and private-for-profit positioning within the East/Southern Africa higher-education market.
• Bennett College: US historically Black women's college with a single-sex enrollment focus. Directly comparable to WUA in mission (women-centered higher education) and demographic-policy mandate.
• Mount Kenya University: Large private Kenyan university with multiple campuses and broad undergraduate/graduate programs. Comparable to WUA in private-for-profit model, multi-faculty structure, and East/Southern Africa student market.
• Ashesi University: Private Ghanaian liberal-arts university with a strong social-mission and ethical-leadership focus. Comparable to WUA as a private African university with a values-driven brand and undergraduate/postgraduate portfolio.
• African Leadership University: Pan-African private university with a mission-driven, social-impact focus comparable to WUA's gender-equity mission. Both operate as for-profit private universities serving a pan-African student body with international partnerships.
• Daystar University: Private Christian Kenyan university with undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple faculties. Comparable in private-for-profit positioning, multi-tier program mix, and East/Southern African student base.
• Spelman College: US historically Black women's college with a demographic-focus enrollment mandate. The closest mission analogue to WUA globally — a private institution whose identity and admissions policy center on educating women.
• Strathmore University: Private Kenyan university with a multi-faculty structure and a focus on professional and graduate programs. Closely comparable to WUA in private-for-profit structure and undergraduate/postgraduate offering.

Broad incumbents

• University of Cape Town: Leading public research university in South Africa with a full undergraduate-through-PhD portfolio. Comparable as a regional incumbent in the SADC postgraduate and research market where WUA competes for talent and recognition.
• Makerere University: Uganda's largest and oldest public university, offering a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and research programs. Comparable as a regional higher-education incumbent competing for the same postgraduate and research talent pool as WUA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/womensuniversityinafrica
• Xx.com/wuazim
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-s-university-in-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women's University in Africa