The International Hotel School is a private South African hospitality education provider with campuses in several cities and a distance learning offering. Private hospitality schools of this kind sit alongside public universities of technology and TVET colleges, at considerably higher cost and with different strengths.
Entry requirements at private hospitality providers are generally more accessible than at universities, which is part of their appeal. The questions that matter are about accreditation, work placement and cost rather than about getting in.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Requirements vary by programme level.
- For a higher certificate: a National Senior Certificate with the relevant endorsement, or recognition of prior learning
- For a diploma: A National Senior Certificate with admission to diploma study requires at least 40% in your home language, at least 40% in four other subjects and at least 30% in two further subjects.
- For short courses and skills programmes: often a National Senior Certificate, and sometimes less
- English competence, since hospitality is customer-facing and often international
- A South African ID, or a passport and appropriate permit for international students
- Payment of registration and tuition fees, or an approved payment arrangement
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
Ask about accreditation specifically, per programme. A provider may be registered and some of its qualifications accredited while other offerings are non-credit-bearing short courses. Both are legitimate, but they are not the same thing and the marketing does not always distinguish them.
Verify before you pay. The institution must be registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the qualification accredited and registered on the National Qualifications Framework — confirm registration with SAQA before paying any fee.
Ask directly: is this qualification registered on the NQF, at what level, for how many credits, and what does it articulate into. A clear answer is a good sign; an evasive one is a better sign still.
International hospitality qualifications and partnerships are sometimes offered alongside South African ones. Where a foreign qualification is involved, ask whether it is registered in South Africa, and if you plan to work locally, confirm what South African employers recognise.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Most South African universities calculate an Admission Point Score (APS) from your best six 20-credit NSC subjects on a seven-point scale, giving a maximum of 42. Life Orientation is excluded at most institutions, and level 1 subjects generally do not count. Each university publishes its own APS table and programme minimums, revised annually, so confirm the figure for your intake year with the institution itself.
APS applies at public universities and universities of technology rather than at private hospitality schools, which set their own entry rules.
Work-integrated learning is the most important thing to ask about. Hospitality programmes include compulsory placements, and where an institution places its students — and with which hotels, lodges or cruise operators — shapes a graduate’s career more than the coursework. Ask for the list of placement partners and how many students are subsequently employed by them.
International placements are a genuine draw at some private schools, particularly cruise line and overseas hotel placements. Ask what these actually cost the student in flights, visas and living expenses, because those are usually additional to fees.
Compare the cost honestly. Public universities of technology and TVET colleges offer hospitality qualifications at a fraction of private school fees, and NSFAS funds qualifying students at public institutions. Private schools offer industry connections and smaller classes. Both routes produce people working in good operations, so the decision is a value judgement rather than a quality one.
Whatever route you choose, work a shift in the industry first. Hospitality runs on evenings, weekends and public holidays, and people leave over those realities rather than over their qualifications.
Documents and Application Requirements
Private providers typically require less documentation than universities.
- Certified copy of your South African ID, or passport and appropriate permit
- Certified copy of your National Senior Certificate or highest qualification
- Proof of residence, where required
- A medical certificate or health clearance, where required for kitchen or placement work
- Proof of payment or an approved payment arrangement
- For international placements: a valid passport and the relevant visa
- For recognition of prior learning: a curriculum vitae and evidence of relevant experience
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Private providers generally offer more than one intake a year and rolling enrolment, which is convenient — and which removes the deadline that would prompt you to check accreditation and placements first.
Use the time that flexibility gives you. Verify the qualification, ask about placements, compare public alternatives and read the cancellation terms before committing.
- Confirm NQF registration and accreditation for the specific programme with SAQA
- Ask for the list of work placement partners and employment outcomes
- Ask what international placements cost the student beyond tuition
- Compare fees against public universities of technology and TVET colleges
- Check whether NSFAS or other funding applies to your chosen route
- Read the cancellation and refund terms before paying
- Work a shift in the industry before enrolling anywhere
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a private hotel school better than a TVET college?
Not automatically, and it costs considerably more. Private schools offer industry connections and smaller classes; public institutions are subsidised and NSFAS-funded. Both produce employable graduates.
How do I check a qualification is accredited?
Confirm its NQF registration with SAQA and the provider’s registration with the Department of Higher Education and Training, before paying.
Are international placements included in the fees?
Usually not entirely. Flights, visas and living costs are commonly additional. Ask for the full expected cost in writing.
Can I study without matric?
Recognition of prior learning processes exist at many providers for applicants with relevant work experience. Ask what the process involves.
Programme offerings, entry requirements, fees, accreditation and placement arrangements change. Confirm current details directly with the provider, and verify accreditation with SAQA and the Department of Higher Education and Training.