Online Learning Courses

There are a wide variety of courses you can study online, such as:

NATED courses
ICB courses
CIMA courses
Short courses
Matric programmes

You can study accredited courses or non-accredited courses, and you can do so through a number of distance learning colleges.

If you are studying an accredited course, be sure to check that the institution you choose to study at is accredited to offer those courses. Always make sure the institution you are applying to is a registered education provider.

Which Courses Can I Study Online?

You can study any of the courses listed above through reputable distance learning colleges. These courses are offered fully online, so there are no face-to-face classes. This means you are completely in control of when and where you study, as long as you have a device and internet connection to access your course material.

NATED Courses

National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED) courses are created by the Department of Higher Education and Training. This is in an effort to help bridge the youth unemployment gap.

These courses have been accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), which means that educational institutions and potential employers in South Africa can recognise these as formal qualifications.

NATED courses go up to the Diploma level. There are seven streams of study:

Business Management
Educare
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
Educare	Matric: National Senior Certificate or Amended Senior Certificate	Child Health N4 Educational Psychology N5 Daycare Management N6	Educare Facilitator Nursery School Assistant Teacher Nursery Teacher
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 offered through reputable distance learning colleges by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). These courses are accredited by ICB and QCTO, and are recognised both locally and internationally, because ICB is an international organisation. None of the three ICB courses require Matric to apply, and all ICB courses go up to the Diploma level. The three ICB courses are:

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:

CIMA Courses

CIMA Business Accounting courses are offered through reputable distance learning colleges by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). These courses are accredited by CIMA, which is also an international organisation. CIMA Business Accounting courses have four levels, which go all the way up to the Degree level.

Business Accounting: CIMA Certificate Level
Business Accounting: CIMA Operational Level
Business Accounting: CIMA Managerial Level
Business Accounting: CIMA Strategic Level

Business Accounting: CIMA Certificate Level
Qualification	National Certificate
NQF Level	5
Accredited by	The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
SAQA ID Number	24418
Credits	120
Entry Requirements	Be 16 years or older Have had pure maths as a school subject Be able to read and write in English
Subjects	Fundamentals of Business Economics Fundamentals of Management Accounting Fundamentals of Financial Accounting Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance, and Business Law
Career Options	Business Manager Management Accountant Business Analyst

Business Accounting: CIMA Operational Level
Qualification	National Diploma
NQF Level	6
Accredited by	The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
SAQA ID Number	24406
Credits	240
Entry Requirements	Business Accounting: CIMA Certificate Level
Subjects	Managing Finance in a Digital World Financial Reporting Management Accounting Operational Case Study Operational Gateway
Career Options	Accountant Bookkeeper Financial Manager

Business Accounting: CIMA Managerial Level
Qualification	Advanced Diploma
NQF Level	6
Accredited by	The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
SAQA ID Number	24406
Credits	240
Entry Requirements	Business Accounting: CIMA Operational Level
Subjects	Managing Performance Advanced Financial Reporting Advanced Management Accounting Management Case Study Managerial Gateway
Career Options	Business Analyst Management Accountant Accounts Assistant

Business Accounting: CIMA Strategic Level
Qualification	Professional Qualification: Chartered Management Accountant
NQF Level	7
Accredited by	The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
SAQA ID Number	20400
Credits	390
Entry Requirements	Business Accounting: CIMA Managerial Level
Subjects	Strategic Management Financial Strategy Risk Management Strategic Case Study Strategic Gateway
Career Options	Debtors Clerk Business Manager Chief Financial Officer

Where Can I Study CIMA Courses?

Many distance learning colleges offer CIMA courses, such as:

Short Courses

Short courses are non-accredited courses that are designed to develop your workplace skills. These skills help you to be workplace-ready as soon as you have completed your qualification.

The short courses listed below are all open-access, which means the only entry requirements are that you are 16 or older, and that you can understand, read and write in English.

Short Courses At Matric College

Short Courses At Skills Academy

Short Courses At Ember Academy

Short Courses At Learning Group

Matric Programmes

Matric Programmes are designed to help all students get their Matric online if they do not have their Matric yet, or to help them improve their marks if they failed and would like to pass, and even to improve their marks if they passed but are unsatisfied with their results.

There are three Matric Programmes offered:

Matric Rewrite, which is for students under 21 who have written Matric and would like to improve their results
Matric Upgrade, which is for students 21 or older who have written Matric and would like to improve their results
Adult Matric, which is for adults 21 and older who have not written their Matric before, and would like to get their Matric

Matric Rewrite

You may rewrite a maximum of four subjects when doing a Matric Rewrite. 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 exams, as long as you are still under the age of 21.

Matric Upgrade

You may upgrade a maximum of four subjects when doing a Matric Upgrade. You can also choose to change up to four of your subjects instead.

There is no limit to how many times you can upgrade your Matric. You can upgrade your Matric any time, and there is no time limit on when you can upgrade your Matric, as long as you are 21 or older.

Adult Matric

You may complete an Adult Matric Course if you are 21 or older and have not written your Matric before. You will receive your Senior Certificate (Amended) once you have successfully completed your Adult Matric.

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

Where Can I Study Matric Programmes?

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

If you would like more information on any of the above courses, you can ask one of our course specialists.

Are Online Courses Recognised In South Africa?

Yes, online courses are recognised, as long as they are accredited and the institution you study at is accredited to offer the course. However, it is also becoming more common for employers to hire candidates with short courses, as these courses are skills-orientated.

Is Distance Learning Full Time?

This is up to you. You can choose to study online full-time and complete your qualification as soon as you can, or you can choose to study part-time and work at the same time to earn an income while you are studying.

Is Distance Education Valid?

Yes, distance education is fully valid, and recognised fully as long as it is accredited. Not all employers will recognise a short course, but it is becoming more popular. However, an accredited course is recognised all over South Africa.

What Have We Learned?

There are a wide variety of courses available to study online
Online courses are recognised as long as they are accredited
It is becoming more common for employers to recognise non-accredited short courses because they are skills-based
Distance learning can be full-time or part-time, and you can choose which you would prefer

Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Sive Ncanywa
Date: August 12, 2022

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