Quantity surveying is a regulated profession in South Africa. Practising requires registration with the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), established under the Quantity Surveying Profession Act 49 of 2000, and registration follows a defined path of qualification, experience and assessment.
That means the school subjects are only the first step of a route that runs through an accredited degree, structured workplace experience and a professional assessment before you can call yourself a professional quantity surveyor.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
The route begins with a mathematics-track school record.
- A National Senior Certificate with admission to bachelor’s degree study requires at least 40% in your home language, at least 50% in four subjects from the designated subject list, and at least 30% in two further subjects.
- Mathematics — Mathematical Literacy is generally not accepted for accredited quantity surveying degrees
- Physical Sciences is required or strongly preferred at many institutions
- English at the level required by the institution
- An APS meeting the programme minimum at your chosen university
- Admission to an SACQSP-accredited programme — this is the step that matters most
- A South African ID, or passport and study visa for international applicants
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
Accreditation is the critical requirement, and it is easy to get wrong. Registration as a professional quantity surveyor requires an accredited qualification. A construction-related degree from a programme that is not SACQSP-accredited will not take you there by the standard route, and discovering that after graduating is a serious setback.
Confirm accreditation with the SACQSP directly before you register for a programme, rather than relying on a prospectus. The Council publishes which programmes it accredits, and that list changes.
The usual academic route is an accredited bachelor’s degree in quantity surveying or construction studies, often followed by an accredited honours or professional degree. Diploma-level qualifications exist and lead to different registration categories — the Council registers professional quantity surveyors and other categories with different 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.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
After the degree comes candidacy. Graduates register with the Council as candidates and complete a period of structured, supervised professional experience under a registered professional. The Council then assesses competence before granting professional registration.
Confirm the current candidacy period, the experience requirements, the assessment format and the fees with the SACQSP directly. These are set by the Council and revised.
Registration is not optional decoration. Certain work is reserved for registered persons under the Act, and continuing professional development is a condition of remaining registered.
The related professions are worth knowing about, because people often confuse them. Construction project management and construction management are regulated by the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions. Architecture is regulated by SACAP, and engineering by ECSA. Each has its own accredited programmes and registration path, and moving between them after graduating is not straightforward.
The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors is the voluntary professional association, distinct from the statutory Council. Membership of an association is not a substitute for registration.
Documents and Application Requirements
For university applications the documents are the standard ones; for registration, considerably more is required.
- Certified copy of your South African ID, or passport for international applicants
- Grade 11 final results and Grade 12 mid-year results when applying
- Final National Senior Certificate once available
- Proof of payment of the application fee where one is charged
- For candidate registration: degree certificate, academic transcripts and proof of accreditation
- For professional registration: a logbook or record of supervised experience, references from a registered professional, and the Council’s assessment requirements
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Accredited programmes have limited capacity and the mathematics requirement filters heavily. Apply early and to more than one institution.
Start thinking about the candidacy period before you graduate. Securing a position with a registered professional who will supervise and sign off your experience is the practical bottleneck, and graduates who leave it until after graduation wait longer.
- Confirm programme accreditation with the SACQSP before registering anywhere
- Take Mathematics, not Mathematical Literacy
- Apply to more than one accredited institution
- Seek vacation work at quantity surveying practices during the degree
- Line up a candidacy position before you graduate
- Confirm the current candidacy period, experience requirements and fees with the Council
- Do not confuse the professional association with the statutory Council
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register to work as a quantity surveyor?
Yes, for professional practice. The SACQSP registers quantity surveyors under the Quantity Surveying Profession Act, and certain work is reserved for registered persons.
Does any construction degree qualify me?
No. Registration by the standard route requires an SACQSP-accredited qualification. Confirm accreditation with the Council before you register for a programme.
Is Mathematical Literacy accepted?
Generally not for accredited quantity surveying degrees. Mathematics is required, and Physical Sciences is often expected as well.
How long after graduating can I register?
Registration follows a period of structured, supervised professional experience as a candidate, and a competence assessment. Confirm the current period and requirements with the SACQSP.
Accredited programme lists, APS minimums, candidacy periods and registration requirements are set by universities and the SACQSP and are revised. Confirm current requirements directly with the institution and the Council.