Journal profile · Social Sciences-Education
South African Computer Journal
ISSN 1015-7999 · eISSN 2313-7835 · South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists · South Africa
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South African Computer Journal: fully open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 24 weeks (community reports); 16 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
South African Computer Journal is published by South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Information Systems Theories and Implementation, Software Engineering Techniques and Practices and Information Systems Education and Curriculum Development, together about 21.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Information Systems. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The South African Computer Journal (SACJ) is a DHET (South Africa) accredited specialist academic journal, publishing research articles and communications in English in the Computer Science, Computer Systems and Information Systems domains. Its primary target is research of interest in Africa or published by African researchers, but all quality contributions are considered. All research articles submitted for publication are rigorously refereed by independent peer reviewers. The journal publishes original work that is of international stature. The editorial board comprises scholars of high repute. The journal is published online using the open access model, making papers accessible in developing countries where funding to subscribe is scarce. The South African Computer Journal (SACJ) serves as the scientific voice of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists (SAICSIT).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Education
Editor-in-chief Katherine MalanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named South Africa 20, United States 1, Australia 1, Nigeria 1 (23 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Information Systems Theories and ImplementationSocial Sciences7.8%
- Software Engineering Techniques and PracticesComputer Science6.9%
- Information Systems Education and Curriculum DevelopmentComputer Science6.5%
- Publishing and Scholarly CommunicationArts and Humanities6.2%
- Usability and User Interface DesignComputer Science5.6%
- Information Technology Governance and StrategyBusiness, Management and Accounting4.8%
- Information and Cyber SecurityComputer Science4.4%
- semigroups and automata theoryComputer Science3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Q2 | 754/1698 | 55th |
| Computer Networks and Communications | Q3 | 292/568 | 48th |
| Information Systems | Q3 | 282/519 | 45th |
| Computer Science Applications | Q3 | 592/1022 | 42nd |
| Human-Computer Interaction | Q3 | 130/196 | 33rd |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
Database indexing
ScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Sherpa RomeoPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.2LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.5LetPub ·
- h-index
- 25OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 70OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.78OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 594 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 23 | 141 |
| 2025 | 16 | 16 | 241 |
| 2024 | 15 | 15 | 271 |
| 2023 | 23 | 23 | 256 |
| 2022 | 21 | 21 | 253 |
| 2021 | 13 | 13 | 273 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 24 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 20 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | ZAR 6,000 | Yes | CC BY-NC | |
| OpenAlex | ZAR 6,000 | — | — | |
| LetPub | ZAR 6,000 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- ZAR 6,000
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 5
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- book reviewIt should carry the author’s full name and affiliation, and should be limited to 500 words.main text ≤ 500 words
- book reviewsBook Reviews It should carry the author’s full name and affiliation, and should be limited to 500 words.Length not stated
- communicationsCommunications A communication is between a letter to the editor and a viewpoint: something useful for readers to know.Length not stated
- letters to the editorIt should carry the author’s full name and affiliation, and should be limited to 500 words.main text ≤ 500 words
- obituariesObituaries Obituaries are published at the discretion of the editor and are not peer-reviewed.Length not stated
- research articles - computer scienceResearch Articles - Computer Science Papers in this section must clearly be Computer Science; papers that overlap significantly with Information Systems or fit …Length not stated
- research articles - generalResearch Articles - General Papers in this section cannot be classified as one of Computer Science or Information Systems.Length not stated
- research articles - information systemsResearch Articles - Information Systems Papers in this section must clearly be Information Systems; papers that overlap significantly with Computer Science or f…Length not stated
- special issueSpecial Issue Papers can only be submitted to a special issue on invitation (extended papers from a conference) or when there is an open call for papers for a s…Length not stated
- viewpointsViewpoints Maximum 2 pages.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, License & copyright, Peer review, Plagiarism
- Authorship
Authors retain copyright Model summary
Copyright of all work published in SACJ subsists in the authors.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Notice
CC BY-NC 4.0 license Model summary
Copyright of all work published in SACJ subsists in the authors. While SACJ retains right of first publication, subsequent re-publication is expressly permitted provided the original SACJ publication is acknowledged and cited, according to the terms detailed below. If plagiarism is detected during review, a paper may be summarily rejected and will not be accepted unless even minor infringements ar…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer-review Policy
Double-blind peer review Model summary
SACJ has a double-blind reviewing policy. The author’s name and affiliation should not appear on the title page (or elsewhere). Citing of previous articles by the author should be anonymised if appropriate. Acknowledgments and thanks should not be included in the draft for review. If you use MSWord please make sure that your name and affiliation are not saved in the document properties. In additio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
iThenticate plagiarism screening Model summary
All submissions are screened through iThenticate.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Before you submit
Five checks before submitting to South African Computer Journal
- 1ScopeRecent output centres on Information Systems Theories and Implementation, Software Engineering Techniques and Practices.Check scope
- 2Article type and formatAbstract: ≤ 200 words; Reference style: APA; Templates: LaTeX and Word.Author guidelines ↗
- 3English languagePolish grammar and academic style before you submit: it lowers the risk of rejection for language and improves your chances of acceptance.
- 4FeesZAR 6,000 (DOAJ), waivers availableFee details
- 5Expected review timeabout 24 weeks · Community averageReview data
The checks are built from this page's data.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists
- Country or region
- South Africa
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1015-7999
- Electronic ISSN
- 2313-7835
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 38, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about South African Computer Journal
How long does peer review take at South African Computer Journal?
Authors report an average review time of about 24 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of South African Computer Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Reference style: APA; Templates: LaTeX and Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required, 5; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of South African Computer Journal based?
Of the 23 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Africa (20), United States (1) and Australia (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index South African Computer Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, South African Computer Journal is indexed in Scopus and DOAJ.
Is South African Computer Journal open access, and what is the APC?
South African Computer Journal is a fully open-access journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .