Stellenbosch University faces allegations of racial bias in 2026 admissions

Stellenbosch University (SU) is under scrutiny after Vanessa Le Roux, founder of Parents for Equal Education SA, alleged racial bias in the institution’s 2026 admissions process. Le Roux claims her top-performing niece and other coloured applicants were unfairly rejected despite meeting Grade 11 thresholds of approximately 67%.

SU received over 106,000 applications for just over 6,000 available places. The university defended its Senate-approved admissions policy, emphasizing that race is considered only as a tool for so-called “redress” and in line with Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) enrolment targets. Data released by the university shows no disproportionate rejection of non-white students, with admitted students including 3,531 Black African, 3,578 White, and 1,236 Coloured applicants.

The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between race-based redress and merit-based selection. Le Roux has indicated plans for further mobilisation, while SU maintains that space limitations are the primary constraint and that individual cases, including her niece’s, were reviewed and deemed compliant with policy.