This paper takes an inventory of technical and institutional capacities of some selected tertiary agricultural education and training institutions (AET) in southern Africa. Data were gathered on key selected areas such as student enrolment, physical infrastructure, teaching staff, curricula, level of research and outreach, and relationship between these institutions and the communities and private sector. The objective was to learn about best practices in the management of the AET institutions which can then potentially be applied to other AET institutions. South Africa demonstrated the greatest degree of diversity in their AET institutions. What is even more remarkable is that South Africa arguably has the most market driven, demand oriented AET-sensitive curricula in southern Africa. Different institutions target different segments in the job market. This is a great lesson for many African countries who are vying to increase job opportunities for their graduates.
A region-wide quality control approach is picking up substantially in the southern African AET institutions. However, it remains to be seen how seriously these standards are being domesticated in the various institutions. Linkages with the private sector and communities are areas where the AET istitutions are continuing to improve. Challenges remain in some of the institutions which are experiencing dwindling of resources and decreasing enrolments.