Mangosuthu University of Technology was established as a technikon in 1979 by Mangosuthu Buthelezi, then the chief minister of KwaZulu, a “homeland” created under apartheid. It is based in Umlazi, 25km from Durban. Now a university of technology, it has 10 000 students studying in three different faculties: management sciences, engineering, and natural sciences.

Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) is situated on the outskirts of Durban and overlooks the beautiful Indian Ocean. University education is tertiary education that provides students with career oriented skills through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the work place.MUT co-operates closely with commerce and industry to ensure that the curriculum of a particular qualification is completely relevant to the chosen field and that the qualification is market related.Theoretical studies as well as a period of in-service training form part of the programme. Graduates enter the workplace equipped with the essential knowledge, range of abilities and practical experience relevant to their chosen careers.

The qualifications of Mangosuthu University of Technology are recognised by all other Universities of Technology in South Africa and to this end the institution operates on a system of external moderators drawn from other Universities of Technology, Universities and Industry. The standards of Mangosuthu University of Technology are closely monitored by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC).