University of the Cape of Good Hope

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The University of the Cape of Good Hope, founded in 1873 in the Cape Colony, was the first university in South Africa. Modelled on the University of London, it functioned as a public examining university, setting syllabuses and awarding degrees without teaching. For over four decades it served as the central degree‑awarding authority for the Cape and other colonies and is regarded as the ancestor of the modern South African university system.