Loans and Scholarships in Africa’s Higher Education Finance: A Comparative Analysis of Capitation, Policy and Recoveries in Eleven Countries

This article is a comparative analysis on financing of higher education in eleven African countries; Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Existing trends and practices on loans and scholarships in relation to capitation, policy and recoveries were compared in the eleven countries that were also member state countries to the Association of the African Higher Education Financing Agencies (AAHEFA). Data was collected at the 2019 AAHEFA conference held in Lusaka, Zambia, where eleven chief executive officials or their representatives from country loans and scholarship related institutions shared comprehensive reports related to funding of higher education in the eleven countries. The data collected was analysed thematically. The article shows that the eleven African countries shared several similarities and differences ranging from management structures, education prioritization, capitation, recovery methods and policies. High demand for student funding against limited resources and loan recovery methods were among the emerging similarities. The differences included variations in funding patterns, policy differences among funding agencies and nebulous management structures. It argues that since most of these loans boards are in their infancy, they needed to learn very fast on how to manage granting and recovery of loans.