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COVID-19 was a pandemic that hit the global world in late 2019, and by 2020 the international sectors were grounded with lockdowns. The lockdowns restricted human movement and gatherings to control the fast-rising waves of the deadly virus across the globe. The education system was significantly impacted as schools were shut down. Thus, academic activities conventionally face-to-face in African learning institutions were suspended for months before teaching and learning was transited to online, amidst many challenges, prospects and opportunities. Hence, this systematic literature review investigates the multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational transformation within African higher education, especially rural universities in the South African context. The review synthesises peer-reviewed articles, reports, and studies published from early 2020 to the present, analysing the challenges institutions face, innovative strategies employed, and potential long-term implications. The findings highlight the rapid shift to online learning, equity and inclusivity concerns, pedagogical innovations, assessment modifications, faculty development initiatives, and mental health considerations. The review underscores the pandemic's role in accelerating educational change and promoting the adoption of technology-enhanced learning in African higher education while also emphasising the importance of addressing digital disparities and ensuring educational equity.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic has forced several global activities, including higher educational institutions, to close, it poses a threat to civilization. Despite the difficulties associated with this abrupt shift, higher educational institutions have been compelled to move to e-learning using the existing educational platforms to lessen the spread of the virus. The number of applications in higher educational institutions continues to rise, regardless of the introduction of different policies, which aims at curbing the spread of the virus. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the academic application and registration process during COVID-19. The study adopted non-empirical research, in which existing literature on the experience of tertiary students on application and registration process post-COVID-19. This paper is solely based on a review and analysis of published research and data. The findings of this study indicate that lack of knowledge/skills and resources are challenges to students’ experiences in the application and registration process at higher educational institutions. However, it seems that the lack of internet connectivity makes these problems worse. The paper notes factors such as laptops, internet connectivity, and lack of information as contributing to the high late academic application and registration at universities. The paper recommends the adoption of mobilization of learners at secondary schools to assist them with application and registration.