The University of Cape Town produces graduates who are among the most employable in the world, according to the 2020 Quacquarelli-Symonds (QS) Graduate Employability Rankings released on Thursday.

The university, named as the leading institution on the continent, is placed at position 91. It is the first time that it has made to the Top 100, in a list which analysed the proportion of recent graduates who are employed, among other things.

"This result is evidence of the exceptional calibre of UCT's graduates and the institution as a whole," said Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng.

"We know the quality of our graduates is high, but this just confirms it for the international community."

A total of 499 universities from around the world were ranked, in a list dominated by institutions from the US, Europe and China.

Holding the top spot in the employability rankings is Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with Harvard University at position 5.

UCT said the two indicators where it performed best were graduate employment rate, where it scored 95.6 out of the possible total of 100, ranking 35th globally. It was placed 34th for alumni outcomes.

It said its biggest improvement was in the employer reputation indicator, where it jumped up 29 places.

The University of the Witwatersrand was within the 200 mark.

South Africa's official unemployment rate stands at 29%, and young people, including graduates, are the hardest hit.