List Of Colleges In South Africa

There are many TVET colleges, formerly known as FET colleges, in South Africa. There are public TVET colleges, and private TVET colleges.

There are also a list of distance learning colleges that offer skills-based courses to help you upskill yourself and improve your CV

All colleges must be registered or accredited to be allowed to teach students. Be sure to check that the colleges you are applying to are registered.

Public TVET Colleges By Province

There are 50 public TVET colleges in South Africa. This can be difficult to sort through, so we have compiled a list of these TVET colleges by province.

TVET Colleges in The Western Cape

TVET Colleges in The Eastern Cape

TVET Colleges in Limpopo

TVET Colleges in Gauteng

TVET Colleges in KwaZulu-Natal

TVET Colleges in Mpumalanga

TVET Colleges in The Free State

TVET Colleges in The Northern Cape

TVET Colleges in The North-West

How Many Private Colleges Are In South Africa?

There are over 350 private TVET colleges in South Africa, almost 400. This is too many to list individually, but if you would like to see if the college you are applying to is registered, you can check this list of registered private TVET colleges in South Africa.

Distance Learning Colleges

There are many reputable distance learning colleges that are registered to offer accredited and non-accredited courses. Some of these distance learning institutions are:

The courses you can study are offered in a wide range of study fields, and have a range of entry levels. There are different types of qualifications, and these colleges have a course for everyone. Courses you can study are:

NATED Courses

National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED) courses have been designed by the Department of Higher Education and Training in an attempt to help bridge the youth unemployment gap.

NATED courses go up to the Diploma level, and are accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). This means that they are recognised as formal qualifications by educational institutions and potential employers in South Africa.

NATED courses take three years to fully complete. This consists of three theory levels that each take between six and twelve months to complete, taking a total of 18 to 36 months to complete all three levels. This is followed by 18 months of work experience, which counts as the practical component.

For your work experience, you will apply through iWIL, a free placement service, to be placed with a business relevant to your qualification. Your hours and progress will be recorded in a Logbook provided by the college, and this Logbook record will be submitted for review at the end of your 18 months.

Note that your application to iWIL does not guarantee you a position in a company. You may need to wait, or even to reapply at a later time.

There are six NATED streams of study:

Business Management
Financial Management
Human Resource Management
Legal Secretary
Management Assistant
Marketing Management

NATED Course	Entry Requirement	Subject Examples	Career Opportunities with Full Qualification
Business Management	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Management Communication N4 Sales Management N5 Public Relations N6	Business Manager Supply Chain Manager Sales Consultant
Financial Management	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Computerised Financial Systems N4 Financial Accounting N5 Entrepreneurship and Business Management N6	Assets Management Supervisor Bank Teller Finance Administrator
Human Resource Management	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Personnel Management N4 Labour Relations N5 Computer Practice N6	Human Resources Consultant Labour Relations Consultant Employee Relations Consultant

Legal Secretary	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Mercantile Law N4 Legal Practice N5 Office Practice N6	Junior Legal Secretary Junior Litigation Secretary Legal: Committee Secretary
Management Assistant	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Office Practice N4 Communication N5 Computer Practice N6	Assistant Manager Data Capturer Executive Assistant
Marketing Management	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Marketing Management N4 Sales Management N5 Marketing Research N6	Brand Manager Product Manager Public Relations Consultant

Where Can I Study NATED Courses?

There are many reputable distance learning institutions that offer NATED courses, such as:

ICB Courses

ICB courses are created and accredited by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) and are offered through reputable distance learning institutions. Their courses are also accredited by QCTO, and are recognised as formal qualifications.

ICB is also recognised internationally, so you can work all over the world with an ICB qualification. These courses go up to the Diploma level, and none of them require Matric to apply.

There are three ICB streams of study:

Financial Accounting
Business Management
Office Administration

ICB Course	Entry Requirement	Subject Examples	Career Opportunities with Full Qualification
Financial Accounting	Grade 10 or equivalent	Bookkeeping to Trial Balance (BKTB) Cost and Management Accounting (CMGT) Income Tax Returns (ITRT) Management Accounting Control Systems (MACS)	Financial Accountant Tax Practitioner Tax Consultant
Business Management	Grade 11 or equivalent	Business Management 1 (BMT1) Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRLR) Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks (FRRF)	Accounting Officer Business Manager Business Advisor
Office Administration	Matric or Matric Equivalent	Business and Office Administration 1 (BOA1) Human Resources Management and Labour Relations (HRLR) Management (MGMT)	Office Manager Public Relations Manager Administrative Manager

Where Can I Study ICB Courses?

Many distance learning colleges offer ICB courses. Some reputable ones are:

Short Courses

Short courses offered at these distance learning colleges are open-access, which means all you need to be able to apply is to be over the age of 16, and to be able to understand, read and write in English.

You must also be comfortable studying through distance learning, as all courses are fully online.

Short courses are created to develop your workplace skills, so that you are equipped with the necessary skills to begin your career journey as soon as you have completed your course. Each college offers a different set of courses.

Short Courses at Matric College

Short Courses at Skills Academy

Short Courses at Bellview

Accounting, Bookkeeping and Finance Courses
Beauty Courses
Computer Courses
Educare and Childcare Courses
Human Resource Management Courses
Interior Decorating & Design, and Digital Photography Courses
Management Courses
Marketing Courses
Occupational Health and Safety Courses
Project Management Courses
Tourism Management Courses
Wedding and Events Planning Courses

Short Courses at Ember Academy

Short Courses at Learning Group

Matric Programmes

Matric programmes are designed to help students get their Matric if they have not written their Matric, or to improve their Matric if they have written but are unsatisfied with their results.

There are three options available for you to study for your Matric online, depending on what your needs are:

Matric Rewrite – for those under 21 who wrote Matric but would like to improve their results
Matric Upgrade – for students who are 21 or older and have written Matric but would like to improve their results
Adult Matric – for adults who are 21 or older and have not written Matric

Matric Rewrite

If you are under 21 and would like to improve your Matric results, you can do so by rewriting up to four subjects. You may not rewrite more than four subjects. You cannot change any subjects, you must rewrite subjects you wrote for your Matric final exams.

There is no limit to how many times you can rewrite your Matric. You can rewrite your Matric up to five years after your Matric year, as long as you are still under the age of 21.

Matric Upgrade

If you are 21 or older and would like to improve your Matric results, you can do so by upgrading up to four subjects. You cannot upgrade more than four subjects. However, you can also choose to change any four subjects instead.

There is no limit to how many times you can upgrade your Matric. There is also no time limit or age limit to upgrading your Matric, as long as you are over the age of 21. You can apply as early as 19, but you cannot write the exams until you are 21, because you will write the Adult Matric exams.

Adult Matric

If you are 21 or older and have not written your Matric, you can get your Matric by doing an Adult Matric. Once you have successfully completed your Adult Matric, you will receive your Senior Certificate (Amended).

This certificate will function the same way as a National Senior Certificate, known as school Matric. You can use your Adult Matric to apply for work, or to apply to further your studies, depending on how well you passed.

Where Can I Study Matric Programmes?

There are many reputable colleges that offer Matric programmes through distance learning, such as:

Additional FAQs

How Many Colleges are there in South Africa?

There are over 400 TVET colleges in South Africa in total. This is made up by over 50 public TVET colleges, and more than 350 private TVET colleges. This is not counting online institutions, such as the distance learning colleges.

Which Colleges in South Africa offer NSFAS?

All public TVET colleges qualify for funding from NSFAS. None of the private colleges qualify for NSFAS funding. NSFAS will only fund TVET studies for South African students studying at a public South African TVET college.

Which Private Colleges offer NSFAS Funding?

NSFAS does not fund any private colleges. If you qualify for NSFAS funding in all other criteria, you must study at a South African public institution to be considered for NSFAS funding.

Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Sive Ncanywa

Last Updated: 12 August 2026

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