Access, quality, global access to higher education in AfricaIntroductionAccording to the United Nations Educational Organisation, the science and culture (UNESCO), access to education is a "human" right for all throughout life and that access must be accompanied by quality" (UNESCO, 2016. Topics: Education for the 21st section century, par. 2). More than ever, the accessibility of information and communications technologies (ICTs) has made it possible to expand access to affordable higher education to underrepresented populations in both developed and developing countries (Olcott, 2013). This is especially true since open education, i.e. open distance learning (ODL) and open educational resources (OER), provide affordable access to higher education. Expanding access to higher education must ensure an equitable distribution of resources for all: that the same quality of education available to all privileged groups who have always had access to higher education and adequate resources are available to groups historically excluded from access and benefits of higher education; that in the case of South Africa, the government and stakeholders ensure that apartheid admissions preferences are eradicated so as to ensure a level playing field (Naidoo, 1998); that deserving students who come from a disadvantaged or disadvantaged group have access to higher education; and, finally, that the use of technology as a vehicle to broaden access through open and distance learning (ODL), not only provides access to higher education, but also provides high-quality educational programs compatible with affordable labor market. cost to students (McMillan Cotton), Furthermore, the State of Education in Africa 2015 Report (SEAR) reports that only 6% of college-aged students in sub-Saharan Africa are undergraduates compared to 26% of students universities located in sub-Saharan Africa. same age group, globally. Furthermore, the ratio of professors to students is 50% higher in African universities compared to universities around the world (SEAR, 2015). whether they are achieving UNESCO's goals in providing equitable and quality education