Apartheid Diplomacy and Its Legacy: Implications for Contemporary Higher Education in South Africa

Introduction: Although apartheid formally ended in 1994, its diplomatic legacy continues to shape South Africa’s higher education system, contributing to persistent disparities in access, funding, and institutional representation. Despite ongoing policy reforms and transformation initiatives, these inequities remain deeply entrenched. Grounded in Karl Marx’s and Max Weber’s class theories, this paper examines the historical impact of apartheid diplomacy, its enduring influence on academic institutions, and the ongoing, ever-evolving challenges and opportunities in fostering a more equitable and inclusive higher education landscape. Methods: Five databases (EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Scopus) were searched between January 2007 and April 2025 to identify relevant published studies on how apartheid-era policies institutionalized systemic inequalities and their implications for contemporary higher education in South Africa. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews and the six-stage model by Arksey and O’Malley were used to select and report findings. Findings: Of the 75 articles retrieved, 15 were included for synthesis. The review presented a comprehensive and rigorous literature analysis, focusing on historical and sociological frameworks, tracing systemic barriers in South African academia. Findings revealed how apartheid diplomacy shaped academic policies and institutional structures, contributing to persistent access, funding, and representation disparities. Additionally, the review examined transformation efforts and policy interventions, assessing initiatives to address apartheid-era legacies in education. Lastly, it highlighted challenges and opportunities for equity and inclusion, underscoring the relevance of these issues in the broader discourse on social justice in higher education. Conclusion: The influence of apartheid diplomacy on South African higher education is still evident, with systemic barriers persisting despite reform efforts. Achieving lasting equity in the higher education system necessitates continuous policy interventions and inclusive strategies. Keywords: Apartheid, class theory, diplomacy, higher education, equity and inclusion, scoping review, South Africa