There are over 300 registered private colleges in South Africa. It’s essential for a college to be first registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training and then with the corresponding accreditation bodies to have its qualifications recognized by organizations, companies, and employers. Hence, every college in South Africa must have an accreditation certificate issued by the necessary accreditation bodies.
A vital aspect of college registration is done by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). This can be followed by registration with other important accreditation bodies needed to accredit the college qualifications. To get registered and accredited, colleges must agree and adhere to specific rules and standards given by DHET and the accreditation bodies.
What Does it Mean For a College to Be Registered in South Africa?
For a college to be registered in South Africa, it must have an accreditation certificate issued by the necessary accreditation bodies. It is imperative for a college in South Africa to be registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training to gain the legal authority to offer higher education programmes.
Therefore, a prospective student must check whether the college they want to enroll in is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training. The Department of Higher Education and Training’s mission is to develop well-educated and highly skilled citizens capable of competing in a sustainable, diversified, and knowledge-intensive international economy that meets South Africa’s development goals.
Hence, the importance of a college registering with DHET is to ensure that:
- Private higher education institutions comply with the Higher Education Act, 1997 (ACT 101 of 1997)
- Private institutions offer quality education
- Students obtain qualifications that are registered on the National Qualifications Framework and the Higher Educations Framework.
- The education system meets the goals of transforming SA in accordance with government policy and legislation
- The public is protected against exploitative operators and unscrupulous private higher institution operators.
In addition, for a college to be registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training, the programs of the institutions must be accredited by bodies such as the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The programs must also be registered on the National Qualifications Framework by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). This is for the programs to be recognized nationally and internationally.
How To Check If a South African College is Registered and Accredited
Students who are serious about their studies must find out if the college they have registered with has a DHET examination center number and the proper accreditation status. Every year, many students enroll in unregistered colleges, only to realize it’s a sham when they have gone too far with their studies. Basically, checking registered colleges in South Africa is done online, and there are many steps to achieving that. They include:
STEP 1: Visit the Department of Higher Education and Training website to check if the college is listed among the registered colleges in South Africa. You can equally send an email or visit the DHET office. Department of Higher Education and Training contact details are:
- Physical Address: 123 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria, 0001
- Postal address: Private Bag X174, Pretoria, 0001
- Telephone number: 012 312 5911 / 0800 87 2222 / 086 999 0123
- Fax: 012 323 5618
- Website: www.dhet.gov.za
STEP 2: Alternatively, you can contact Umalusi, a South African Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training to verify the accreditation status of a college. Umalusi’s contact details are as follows:
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: +27 (012) 349 1510
- Fax: +27 (012) 349 1511
STEP 3: You can also visit the Council on Higher Education (CHE) website. CHE’s contact details are:
- Physical address: 1 Quintin Brand Street, Persequor Technopark, Brummeria, Pretoria, 0020
- Postal address: P. O. Box 94, Persequor Technopark, Brummeria, Pretoria, 0020
- Telephone: +27(0)12 349 3840
- Website: www.che.ac.za
STEP 4: To confirm the status of a college’s qualifications and whether their courses are recognized on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), you can visit the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) website; www.saqa.org.za. SAQA’s contact details are as follows:
- Physical address: SAQA House, 1067 Arcadia Street, Hatfield, Pretoria
- Postal address: Postnet Suite 248, Private Bag X06, Waterkloof, 0145
- Telephone: 012 431 5000
Is Rostec College Registered?
Rostec College is a private college in South Africa with six campuses across four provinces within the country. The college has more than 10,800 students, and each of its campuses is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training. They also have High School Registration numbers and equally obtained accreditation from Umalusi and QCTO. Rostec campuses’ accreditation details are as follows:
Johannesburg Campus
- DHET Exam Centre No: 89998836
- Umalusi Accreditation No: FET00778PA
- QCTO Accreditation No: SDP 1220/16/0009
- High School Registration No: 400420
Pretoria Campus
- DHET Exam Centre No: 89998835
- Umalusi Accreditation No: FET00779PA
- QCTO Accreditation No: SDP 1220/16/0007
- High School Registration No: 400444
Vereeniging Campus
- DHET Exam Centre No: 89990896
- Umalusi Accreditation No: FET00722PA
- QCTO Accreditation No: SDP 1220/16/0008
- High School Registration No: 400420
Rustenburg Campus
- DHET Exam Centre No: 2010/fe07/027
- Umalusi Accreditation No: 18 FET 02 00141 PA
- QCTO Accreditation No: SDP 1227/18/00103
- SASSETA Accreditation No: PA A002921/10FET020069 PA
- HWSETA Accreditation No: HW591PA162689
Bloemfontein Campus
- DHET Exam Centre No: 399990328
- Umalusi Accreditation No: FET00868PA
- QCTO Accreditation No: SDP 1221/16/0001
- High School Registration No: 3171300
Polokwane Campus
- DHET Exam Centre No: 799992704
- Umalusi Accreditation No: FET00955PA
- QCTO Accreditation No: QCTO NATED /14/ 0075
In addition to offering a variety of accredited courses designed by DHET that comprises both theory and practical work (NATED), Rostec college provides High School classes, short courses, and Matric Re-write courses. It additionally offers a variety of National Certificate Vocational (NCV) programmes across diverse fields to respond to the demand for skills in the country.
Is College of Africa Registered?
College of Africa is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training in the year 2016 as a private higher educational institution in terms of section 54 (1)(c) of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (ACT 101 of 1997), and Regulations of 14(4)(a) of the Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions. Located north of Polokwane in Limpopo province, the College of Africa lies opposite the University of Limpopo Turfloop & MEDUNSA inside the university campus.
Additionally, the college’s programmes sites of delivery are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The programmes are registered in South Africa and have gained approval from the Registrar in terms of section 53(1)(b) of the Act and Regulation 20(c). The college’s course accreditation is further done by the Quality Council for Trades & Occupations (QCTO) under the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
College of Africa registration details are:
- Department of Higher Education (DHET) Exam center no: 0799992734
- QCTO Accreditation no: SPD1224/19/00142
- Enterprise name: College of Africa (Pty) Ltd
- Trading name: College of Africa
- College of Africa company registration number: 2019/087756/07
- B-BBEE Status: Level one (135% B-BBEE recognition)
- Tax Clearance Certificate Number: 0700/2/2019/A002743637
- Income Tax Number: 9941868169
Is College SA Registered?
College SA is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and offers a wide variety of accredited courses with qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). It is a private distance learning business college in Tygervalley Bellville, South Africa. The college further provides provider-accredited courses with qualifications not registered on NQF.
College SA is provisionally registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution in terms of The Further Education and Training Colleges Act (Act 16 of 2006). The college has been compliant with the legislation since its registration. It further provides students residing in South Africa and beyond with business, Technical, and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Association of Private Providers of Education, Training, and Development Membership
College SA is a member of the Association of Private Providers of Education, Training, and Development (APPETD). The association is the leading body for private education providers in the country. They promote the skills, expertise, and quality service that the private education providers contribute to the Education, Training, and Development Industry (ETDP).
APPETD also protects and serves the interest of private education institutes. College SA’s APPETD membership number is MEM2017/076. Its membership status can be verified through the contact details of the Association of Private Providers of Education, Training, and Development listed below:
- APPETD E-mail: [email protected]
- Website: www.appetd.org.za
- Telephone: 083 215 2994
College SA’s Accreditation By Quality Assurance Bodies
As it is imperative for training providers to obtain accreditation from the relevant Quality Councils to offer skill programmes or registered qualifications, College SA is accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) as well as the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi).
Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi)
The Umalusi gives private providers of education and training the accreditation to provide programmes and assessments for qualifications on the General and Further Education and Training Framework. Hence, College SA is accredited by Umalusi to offer some qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). They include:
- National Certificate: N1 Engineering Studies
- National Certificate: N2 Engineering Studies
The council further establishes and monitors standards for General and Further Education and Training in South Africa in accordance with the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act (Act 58 of 2001) and the National Qualifications Framework Act (Act 67 of 2008). College SA’s accreditation number with Umalusi is 15 FET02 00025. It can be confirmed on Umalusi’s website given as www.umalusi.org.za.
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO)
In terms of the Skills Development Act, the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) was established in 2010. Its major role is to monitor the design, implementation, assessment, and certification of occupational qualifications on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF).
College SA is accredited by QCTO and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). ICB, a designated Quality Assurance Partner of QCTO, works as an independent External Examination Body for Accredited Business Qualifications in South Africa.
On behalf of QCTO, the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers oversees the theoretical training of bookkeepers and accountants, ensuring it is of a high standard. College SA has been accredited by ICB as a training provider to offer diploma courses and national vocational and financial certificates recognized on the National Qualifications Framework.
The ICB-accredited courses offered by College SA include:
- National Diploma: Financial Accounting
- Diploma: Office Administration
- National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting
- National Certificate: Small Business Financial Management
- National Certificate: Bookkeeping
- Higher Certificate: Office Administration
- Certificate: Office Administration
- Further Education and Training Certificate: Bookkeeping
The South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) Accreditation
College SA is further accredited by the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP). It is an approved Learning and Quality Assurance Body (LQA) under the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). College SA is thereby accredited by SABPP to offer National Qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework.
The college’s accreditation status with the South African Board for People Practices can be verified on their website; www.sabpp.co.za. The SABPP-accredited National Qualifications offered by College SA include:
- National Diploma: Human Resource Management and Practices
NOTE: College SA is a Sage Authorised Learning Partner. The private higher education institution is also recognized as a training provider by the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH) and an accredited tuition provider by The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Is Rosebank College Registered?
IIE Rosebank College is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no. 2007/HE07/002). The college is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) (Pty) Ltd.
Rosebank College is not only a leading registered provider of private higher education in South Africa but is internationally accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC). As a result, the IIE offers standard qualifications to students as it boasts over 90 registered and accredited higher education qualifications. Rosebank college operates across 20 sites in the country.
List of The Necessary South African Accreditation Bodies a College Needs to be Registered With
For colleges in South Africa to offer accredited courses, they must be registered with the corresponding accreditation bodies in the country. These accreditation bodies regulate and manage the quality of higher education and training courses. However, they are classified as reporting entities under the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The accreditation bodies include:
- Council on Higher Education (CHE)
- South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)
- Quality Control for Trades and Occupations (QCTO)
- Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA)
- Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (UMALUSI)
- SA Board for People Practices (SABPP)
- Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority (AgriSETA)
- Banking Sector Education and Training Authority (BANKSETA)
- Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA)
- Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA)
- Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sports Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA)
- Education, Training, and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (EDTP SETA)
- Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA)
- Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Sector Education and Training Authority (FoodBev SETA)
- Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (FP&M SETA)
- Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSETA)
- Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA)
- Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA)
- Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA)
- Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA)
- Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA)
- Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA)
- National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)
- Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA)
- Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (SASSETA)
- Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA)
- Transport Education Training Authority (TETA)
- Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA)
- South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
- South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC)
- South African Nursing Council (SANC)
