Esayidi TVET College is a public TVET college in southern KwaZulu-Natal, with campuses at Port Shepstone, Gamalakhe and Enyenyezi on the coast and Kokstad, uMzimkhulu and Clydesdale inland. To study there you need to have passed Grade 9 and be at least 16 years old for the NC(V) programmes. For its Report 191 (NATED) programmes, the college asks for a Grade 12 certificate at Higher Certificate pass level or better.
Esayidi TVET College courses are not offered at every campus, so choose the campus that runs your programme before you apply. Applications go through the college’s online process, which includes a compulsory placement assessment.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
- NC(V) Levels 2–4: Grade 9 passed and at least 16 years old, as stated on each campus page.
- Report 191 (NATED): Grade 12 with at least a Higher Certificate pass (stated on all six campus pages).
- Occupational programmes: entry is not published per programme. Ask the campus that offers it.
- Application: online, in three steps: career guidance, a compulsory pre-entry placement assessment, then the application form.
- Documents: your ID (or your guardian’s), proof of residence and your latest academic results, uploaded as PDFs.
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
Esayidi sets its minimum by the type of programme, not by a points score.
NC(V): National Certificate (Vocational)
NC(V) runs over Levels 2, 3 and 4. Each level takes a year and counts as the equivalent of Grades 10, 11 and 12 in a vocational field. The college’s stated minimum is a Grade 9 pass and a minimum age of 16. You start at Level 2 and move up one level at a time.
Report 191 (NATED): N1–N6
The college describes its Report 191 programmes in Engineering, Business, Performing Arts, Utility and Educational Studies as for learners with a Grade 12 certificate at Higher Certificate pass level or better. Business examples include Public Management, Business Management, Management Assistant, Tourism and Financial Management. Some engineering programmes start below N4. For example, Port Shepstone runs Engineering Electrical and Motor Mechanic from N1. The level you can enter there depends on your school results or earlier N-certificates, and on your placement assessment. Confirm your entry level with the campus before you apply.
Occupational programmes
The college also lists trade and occupational programmes on its campus pages, and the list changes between intakes. Entry requirements are not published per programme, so check the campus page for what is on offer now and ask the offering campus what it requires.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Esayidi does not use an APS score for its programmes. Admission depends on the grade or level you have passed and on your placement assessment. What you study depends on the campus. The lists below come from the campus pages and change between intakes, so confirm the current list with the college:
- Port Shepstone: NC(V) Office Administration and Civil Engineering; N4–N6 Public Management and Business Management; Engineering Electrical and Motor Mechanic (N1–N4).
- Gamalakhe: NC(V) Hospitality, Tourism, Primary Agriculture and Finance, Economics and Accounting; N4–N6 Tourism, Hospitality and Catering Services, Financial Management, Business Management, Introduction to Art and Design, and Popular Music.
- Enyenyezi: NC(V) Office Administration and Electrical Infrastructure Construction; N4–N6 Public Management and Business Management; Engineering (N3–N6).
- Kokstad: NC(V) Office Administration and Civil Engineering; N4–N6 Public Management and Business Management; Engineering Civil (N2–N6).
- uMzimkhulu: NC(V) Primary Agriculture; N4–N6 Farming Management, Business Management and Public Management; Engineering Electrical (N2–N6).
- Clydesdale: NC(V) Office Administration and Education and Development; N4–N6 Management Assistant.
Every NC(V) programme includes three fundamental subjects: English First Additional Language, Life Orientation and Mathematical Literacy. Vocational subjects are added on top of these, for example Electrical Principles and Practice in Electrical Infrastructure Construction or Animal and Plant Production in Primary Agriculture.
For Report 191 programmes, the college also refers to 2,000 required working hours in the relevant field of study. This is the workplace experience that leads to the National N Diploma, so plan for it from the start.
Documents and Application Requirements
Apply through the college’s registration process page. It sends you to an online portal where you complete three steps in order:
- Career guidance: an online career exploration. You can save it and come back to it later.
- Pre-entry placement assessment: the college says this is compulsory. Answer every question yourself, and keep your username and password. You still choose your course after you see the result.
- Online application: fill in the form and upload your documents.
Upload these documents as PDFs:
- Your ID, or your parent’s or guardian’s ID if you are applying as a minor
- Proof of residence
- Your latest academic results: a school report, your NSC, or earlier NC(V) or N-level results
The college publishes its application windows as notices on its news page. The latest notices on that page are a September 2024 application period for 2025 enrolment and a 3 to 14 November 2025 N4 pre-enrolment period that did not accept walk-ins. No window for the 2027 intake was posted at the time of writing, so check the news page for current dates.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
- Campus decides the programme. Most programmes run at one or two campuses only, and the inland and coastal campuses are far apart. Check how you will get there every day before you choose.
- Placement results affect your offer. The assessment checks whether a programme suits you. Space is limited, so apply early in the window.
- Separate intakes. NC(V) runs as an annual programme. N-level programmes are semester or trimester based, so the college runs separate pre-enrolment windows for them, such as the N4 window.
- Funding is a separate application. NSFAS funds qualifying students at public TVET colleges, but you apply to NSFAS yourself on the NSFAS website by its own closing date. A college offer does not mean you have funding.
- Community Development Centres. Esayidi also has centres at Harding, Inyonemhlophe, Mthwalume, Nqamuza and Oshabeni, plus the Sizanani Skills Centre. Ask the college which programmes they run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Esayidi TVET College’s campuses?
There are six: Port Shepstone (head office), Gamalakhe and Enyenyezi on the coast, and Kokstad, uMzimkhulu and Clydesdale inland.
What is the minimum requirement to study at Esayidi TVET College?
For NC(V) you need a Grade 9 pass and must be at least 16. For Report 191 (NATED) programmes the college asks for Grade 12 with at least a Higher Certificate pass. Some engineering N1–N3 programmes have different entry points, so confirm with the campus.
Do I need an APS score for Esayidi?
No. Esayidi admits students by grade or level passed and by the placement assessment, not by APS.
How do I apply to Esayidi TVET College?
Go to the college’s registration process page, complete the career guidance and the compulsory placement assessment, then submit the online application with your ID, proof of residence and latest results as PDFs.
Can I walk in to apply?
Not always. The November 2025 N4 pre-enrolment notice said no walk-ins. Treat online application as the default and check the notice for your intake.
Does NSFAS fund Esayidi students?
Esayidi is a public TVET college, so qualifying students can apply for NSFAS funding. Apply directly to NSFAS. The college does not do it for you.
Programmes by campus, entry requirements and application dates are set by Esayidi TVET College and change with each intake. Confirm the current details on the Esayidi TVET College website or with your campus before you apply.
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