As the world changed, so did Henley. We launched our first Masters, MPhil, and PhD programmes in the seventies, moving into the space of high-level management education. By 1985, the Henley MBA was born. This decade also saw a shift toward inclusivity, with some of the first scholarships made available for women in management and headteachers. Over the next decade, Henley truly went global, introducing the MBA to Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, and, crucially for our purposes, South Africa.

Henley Africa’s journey started over three decades ago, and today we sit at the heart of the continent’s business hub in Paulshof, Johannesburg. We are proud to be the first international business school in Africa to hold quadruple accreditation (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB, and AABS)—putting us in the top 1% of business schools globally. These accreditations are a licence to operate and support our core mission: filling the management capability gap left after years of inequity, so that African businesses can grow sustainably and create jobs. 

We continue to evolve to meet the needs of a changing world. In 2025, we launched the Henley DBA in Africa, completing our full learning pathway from NQF level 5 to NQF level 9. Our focus today is on ensuring our students are not just "future-ready," but "future-active."