Wich programs to study

Because I design primarily for the medium of ink on paper, that experience is naturally going to color my answer. If you're primarily interested in Web design, this might not help you.

South Africa is rich in commercial printing companies. (I know Oxford University Press has a plant down there, to cite just one example.) You might want to go visit one and have a talk with their production department people. They can tell you what the professionals use, which applications tend to give them trouble at the production end, and which seem to work more smoothly. They might even sponsor some pro-level but basic workshops that would be helpful to you.

I find that schools can often lag far behind the real world when it comes to software and design techniques. On the other hand, if you rely only on Web sites that cater to designers, you might hear more about cutting-edge stuff that the real world isn't using yet. You just have to do some research.

Curriculum. Do you have an advisor at school? You should have a set of requirements for your degree. Talk to your advisor about your career goals.

Honestly though, I only learned design in college (typography, photography, color, layout). It was afterwards that I really learned technique-- mostly on my own and from the internet (communities like this one).

It's funny that not even 5 years after, my "best" portfolio piece for my senior portfolio class now makes me almost cringe.

By "programs," I thought Zilpher7 was talking about design applications for the computer. If the subject is "courses of study," certainly an advisor, perhaps the design department head, should be able to help. There must indeed be requirements. But if the issue is more about what to study to be more in tune with real-world design, I still say chatting with your local print shop can be a good place to start. You could also try interning (or "temping") at an ad agency that has an in-house computer graphics department. Within an day or two, if you keep your eyes and ears open, you should know what their using.

You can never go wrong with basic fine arts courses that teach the fundamentals of good design. Either these will not change, wherever you go, or you'll know what has to be changed if you wind up working someplace that's all about punk marketing and changing rules.

On what you want to do.

Definitely learn your design craft first, regardless of program. Then, what you'll find is different places you work use different software, so try to be as familiar as you can with as many softwares as you can.

Here in the states these are the biggies:
Adobe Creative Suite, Quark (declining)

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Powerpoint is not a design application.

i study graphic design and am lucky to land a job as a graphc designer before i've actually finished my studies, and working for a media company am finding print isn't the way the industry is heading... i would focus on multimedia web and gaming so learn your photoshop, illustrator, dreamweaver, flash and if you get into 3D design then Maya is the way to go.. there's a free download of Maya from here, you will apparently have watermarks on your designs but it's free to use
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7635018
hope i've helped

The Web may be where the most visible growth is occurring right now, but design for print remains an important part of a smart designer's repertoire. While not all online ventures will find the need to place their identity in one or more of the print or other tangible media, a thorough designer will keep such probable future applications in mind when designing something intended primarily for the Internet.

and I was struck by the suggestion in one post that was 100% on target, yet one that I rarely see in discussions on this subject.

"Wich programs to study"

The subject of that post was on the need for higher education in the use of the written word, specifically, proper grammar and use of punctuation. This makes a lot of sense. As a graphic designer you work with text in most all of your projects, in logos, ads and editorial layout. The higher level of competency with the language makes sense in having a direct impact on the success of your overall typographic skills.

At a minimum, own a copy of Robert Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style.

A lot of my work as a designer actually involves helping my clients better articulate their messages. It's one of the strengths I have over my competitors, whose work is notorious for fundamental errors in the areas of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and basic typographic sensibility -- let alone any actual ability to use the language creatively. It also helps to be well-rounded enough to be able to communicate with your clients, who may bring many different communication styles to your doorstep. So yeah, probably a good, solid Liberal Arts background is of great value to a designer, with emphasis on language, a little psychology, art/design (of course!) and math/science. Almost everything related to computer-based design can be learned in focused workshops and through self-teaching using tutorials -- and that way, you're better assured of getting up-to-date info. I'm very skeptical about the value of computer design education, unless the courses include real-world internships, practicums with working professionals, and so on.