The 3rd Annual International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives 04 - 06 July 2018, Stellenbosch University, Saldahna Bay, South Africa 478 Students’ Perception of Factors Infuencing Graduate Employability at a Higher Education Institution in South Africa TF Rukuni University of Western Cape, South Africa D Woudberg, C du Preez, K Fourie and S Jute CTI Education Group Abstract: In recent years, South Africa has experienced an increase in the number of unemployed graduates while enrolment at institutions of higher learning is growing at a tremendous rate. Such a situation should be considered a worrying factor for both management and students at Higher Learning Institutions. Labour market specialists recommend that one of the most efective ways leading to employable graduates is through an assessment of employability factors within the academic curriculum and streamline the curriculum according to employer’s expectation. As previously noted, assessment of factors infuencing employability of graduates within academic curriculum is rarely considered an issue of importance by management of Institutions of Higher Learning. The purpose of this study was to assess students’ perceptions of employability factors at an Institution of higher education and investigate how employability factors infuence employment of graduates. A descriptive case study approach was conducted. A quantitative methodology, through which a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of at least 120 students at a private Institution of higher learning in Johannesburg, South Africa. SPSS was utilised to conduct descriptive and multivariate analyses including factor analysis, correlations, and regression analyses. Results indicated that, students had a negative perception towards graduate employability factors within the curriculum such as work attitudes, communica- tion skills and exposure to the world of work. A positive correlation was also found to exist between factors afecting graduate employability and employment of graduates. Direction for future research was provided together with recommendations to management of the Institutions of higher learning. Keywords: Academic curriculum, Employability, Graduate employability, Institutions of Higher Learning 1. Introduction In recent years, South Africa has experienced an increase in the number of students enrolled at institutions of higher learning while the number of graduate who get employed is going tremendously down (Oluwajodu, Blaauw, Greyling, & Kleynhans 2015). Such a situation should be worrying for management and students at Higher Learning Institutions as it creates future job market uncer- tainties among graduates. Labour market specialists such as Nel, Werner, Du Plessis, Ngalo, Poisat, Sono, Van Hoek and Botha (2011), Perera and Perera (2009) and Adeyemo, Ogunleye, Oke and Adenle (2010) recommend that one of the most efective way among others to improve employability of graduates is an assessment of employability fac- tors within the academic curriculum and streamline it according to employer’s expectation. However, authors such as Perera and Perera (2009) bemoan the fact that most institutions of higher learning are yet to realise the importance of incorporating the voice of their students in developing a curriculum that leads to graduate employability. The literature in South Africa, as it relates to institutions of Higher Learning management also tends to ignore this sub- ject, which should be considered a gap in the body of knowledge. It is therefore, opportune to conduct this study to assess students’ perception on factors that infuence employability of graduates. Unfavourable economic conditions (i.e. lack of cap- ital, high infation levels and interest rates, lower incomes and production levels) has persistently led to high statistics of unemployment in most devel- oping countries (Adeyemo et al., 2010; Okebukola, 2007). On the other hand, institutions of higher edu- cation have increased their enrolment levels. Thus, the situation has created an unbearable situation where by there is an increase in number of gradu- ates while opportunities are constantly diminishing. Mukherjee (2016) argues that graduate employabil- ity in developing countries is afected by both supply and demand factors. Supply side explains such factors outside the control of graduates but the industry. As already mentioned, lack of capital, high