The political economy of public-private good of open, distance, higher education institutions in South Africa

The thrust of this article is on the issues of who pays, who should pay and who benefits from open distance higher education in the current context of global competition, on the one hand, and the widening of participation, social equity and redress, on the other, in South Africa. The discussions emphasise the public-private good dichotomy, as well as social and private returns and how open and distance higher education promotes social equity and efficiency. The article explores the extent to which open distance higher education promotes the widening access for previously disadvantaged groups and improvement of social and economic equities.