Nearly 200 Eduvos students were named among the country’s Top 500 most employable students in 2026, marking the institution’s strongest GradStar performance to date.
Eduvos has recorded its strongest performance yet at the GradStar Awards, with 28 students named among South Africa’s Top 100 most employable students for 2026.
The achievement follows an earlier milestone that saw 195 Eduvos students earn places in the GradStar Top 500, representing 39% of the entire list and placing Eduvos first on the 2026 GradStar Top 500 university leaderboard by number of students represented.
It marks a significant step forward from 2025, when 56 Eduvos students reached the Top 500 and seven progressed to the Top 100. In 2026, Eduvos has more than tripled its Top 500 representation and quadrupled the number of students reaching the Top 100.
For Eduvos, the results reflect a broader commitment to ensuring that students leave higher education equipped with more than qualifications, gaining the skills, confidence and experience required to navigate an increasingly complex world of work.
“Having 28 Eduvos students recognised among the Top 100 is an achievement we’re incredibly proud of, but what is particularly meaningful is the scale of progress behind it,” says Dr Siegie Brownlee, Eduvos CEO. “The progress from 56 students in the Top 500 last year to 195 this year reflects our commitment to developing well-rounded graduates. We embed digital skills, career readiness and practical work experience into academic learning and campus life, helping students become capable, adaptable and resilient.
"This starts with understanding the knowledge, skills and attributes students need to thrive, and actively developing these through our curricula, institutional culture and student experience. By embedding digital skills, career readiness and practical work integrated learning into their academic journey, we help students build the capability, confidence, agility and resilience to embrace the next chapter of their lives.”
Employability beyond academic results
The GradStar Awards identify students with the potential to succeed in the workplace, looking beyond academic results alone to assess qualities that employers increasingly require.
Students are assessed on areas including leadership potential, workplace readiness, communication and interpersonal skills, career motivation and ambition, personal achievement and involvement, and their ability to demonstrate initiative and make a positive contribution.
The selection process includes a Future Fit assessment, video submission and Personal Development Plan before candidates progress from the Top 500 to the Top 100. This broader understanding of employability aligns closely with Eduvos’ approach to preparing students for their careers through Work Integrated Learning, Career Services, employability initiatives and engagement with industry.
“Academic knowledge remains fundamental, but employers are also looking for people who can communicate, adapt, take initiative and continue learning,” says Marna Wessels, Eduvos Employability and Work Readiness manager. “Those qualities are developed through a combination of what happens in the lecture room and the opportunities students have to apply themselves, work with others and begin thinking deliberately about their careers.”
Talent across disciplines and learning environments
Eduvos’ 28 Top 100 students represent a broad range of disciplines and study environments across the institution. The group includes 12 Information Technology students, eight Commerce students, four Applied Science students, three Law students and one Humanities student, studying fields ranging from data science, software engineering and security and network engineering to biomedicine, accounting, law, tourism management, graphic design and business.
Students from Bedfordview, Bloemfontein, Mowbray, Durban (Umhlanga), Midrand, Pretoria and Tygervalley have been recognised, alongside four students studying through Eduvos Online.
The breadth of representation demonstrates that workplace readiness is not confined to any one qualification, career path or mode of study. It also builds on a sustained upward trajectory for Eduvos since its students first participated in GradStar in 2021. Four Eduvos students reached the Top 500 that year, followed by 14 in 2022, 24 in 2023, 20 in 2024 and 56 in 2025. The 195 students recognised in 2026 represent the institution’s highest total to date.
Preparing students for what comes next
The 2026 results come at a time when the transition between higher education and employment is increasingly demanding. Employers are looking for graduates who can combine technical and disciplinary knowledge with adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and a willingness to learn. Eduvos’ focus on employability aims to help students begin building those capabilities before graduation through practical experience, career preparation and opportunities to engage with the expectations of the workplace.
For Brownlee, the GradStar results offer an important external measure of that work. “Our goal is to help build the confidence, skills and mindset in our students to keep growing as industries and careers change. The students recognised by GradStar are demonstrating that potential, and we’re extremely excited to see where it takes them.”
The 28 Eduvos students will now progress to the next stage of the GradStar Awards, with the Top 10 set to be announced in December in Johannesburg.
“Each of these students represents what’s possible when academic learning and employability development work together,” Brownlee concludes. “We congratulate all 195 of our Top 500 students, and especially the 28 who have progressed to the Top 100. Their success belongs to them, but it is also something the entire Eduvos community can celebrate.”
