A training provider that wants to deliver accredited qualifications in South Africa must be accredited — historically by a SETA’s Education and Training Quality Assurance function, and increasingly by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) as occupational qualifications replace older ones.
Accreditation is qualification-specific and scope-specific. A provider accredited for one qualification is not accredited for another, and claims of blanket accreditation are a warning sign.
Business Requirements at a Glance
An accreditation application must demonstrate that the provider can actually deliver and assess the qualification.
- A registered legal entity, with CIPC documents or proof of the entity’s form
- A quality management system covering delivery, assessment, moderation and learner support
- Qualified facilitators, assessors and moderators, registered for the specific qualification
- Learning material aligned to the qualification’s curriculum or unit standards
- Appropriate facilities and equipment for the qualification, including practical training capacity
- Learner administration systems, including records, certification and appeals processes
- A site visit by the quality assurance body
- Payment of the prescribed fees
- Registration with the Department of Higher Education and Training where the qualification level requires it
Registration and Legal Requirements
Assessors and moderators are the requirement that stops most applications. They must be qualified as assessors and moderators, and must be subject matter experts registered against the specific qualification. Providers frequently apply with facilitators but no registered assessor, and the application cannot proceed.
The QCTO transition matters. Occupational qualifications are being introduced and legacy qualifications phased out, with teach-out dates. A provider accredited for a legacy qualification must plan for its replacement, and a new applicant should generally apply for the occupational qualification rather than one being phased out.
Confirm the current position for your qualification with the QCTO and the relevant SETA, because the transition has been running for years and the position differs by qualification.
Occupational qualifications require the three components — knowledge, practical skills and work experience — and a provider must be able to deliver or arrange all three, or partner with someone who can. A provider offering only the classroom component cannot deliver a full occupational qualification.
The External Integrated Summative Assessment is conducted by an assessment body appointed by the QCTO, not by the training provider. Providers must prepare learners for it but do not conduct it, and should be clear with learners about that.
Documents and Ownership Information Required
The application pack is substantial and site-visit ready.
- Completed accreditation application to the relevant SETA or the QCTO
- CIPC registration documents and company profile
- Tax compliance status PIN from SARS
- Quality management system documentation, including policies and procedures
- Curricula vitae, qualifications and registration details of facilitators, assessors and moderators
- Learning material and assessment instruments aligned to the qualification
- Proof of facilities and equipment, including photographs and lease or ownership documents
- Learner administration and records management procedures
- Appeals and grievance procedures for learners
- Certification and record-keeping processes
- Proof of payment of the prescribed fees
- Where required: Department of Higher Education and Training registration as a private college
Tax, Licence and Compliance Requirements
Accreditation is not permanent. It runs for a defined period and must be renewed, and providers are monitored and subject to verification visits during it. Non-compliance can result in accreditation being withdrawn, which invalidates the provider’s ability to certificate learners.
Learner records and certification are a continuing obligation. Providers must maintain records, submit learner achievement data for upload to the national learner records database, and issue certificates through the correct process. Learners whose achievements are never uploaded hold certificates that cannot be verified.
That is a significant harm to learners and a common failing. Providers should be able to demonstrate that achievements are uploaded, and learners should be able to verify their qualifications on the national records database.
Registration with the Department of Higher Education and Training is a separate requirement from accreditation for private colleges offering qualifications at defined levels. Both are needed where they apply, and providers frequently hold one and claim the other.
Misrepresenting accreditation is a serious matter. Providers claiming accreditation they do not hold, or claiming blanket accreditation, cause real harm to learners who pay for worthless certificates. Learners should verify accreditation with the SETA or QCTO directly, and providers should state their scope precisely.
Process, Deadlines and Ongoing Obligations
Assemble the assessors, moderators, material and facilities before applying. Accreditation applications are assessed against readiness to deliver, and an application submitted before the provider is ready simply generates findings.
Be precise about scope in all marketing. State which qualifications you are accredited for, with which body, and under which accreditation number, and do not imply more.
- Apply for specific qualifications — there is no blanket accreditation
- Secure registered assessors and moderators before applying
- Confirm the QCTO transition position for your qualification
- Ensure you can deliver all three components of an occupational qualification
- Prepare for a site visit — facilities are inspected
- Register with the Department of Higher Education and Training where required
- Upload learner achievements so certificates are verifiable
- State your accreditation scope precisely in all marketing
- Confirm current requirements with the QCTO and the relevant SETA
Frequently Asked Questions
Is accreditation qualification-specific?
Yes. A provider is accredited for specific qualifications with a defined scope. Claims of blanket accreditation are a warning sign.
What stops most applications?
The absence of qualified assessors and moderators registered against the specific qualification. Facilitators alone are not sufficient.
Who conducts the final assessment on occupational qualifications?
An assessment body appointed by the QCTO conducts the External Integrated Summative Assessment, not the training provider.
How do learners verify a provider?
By confirming accreditation with the relevant SETA or the QCTO directly, and by checking that their achievement appears on the national learner records database.
Accreditation criteria, the QCTO transition, fees and monitoring requirements are set by the QCTO and the SETAs and are being revised. Confirm current requirements directly with the QCTO and the relevant SETA.