Pretoria: South Africa's quality councils have issued a nationwide warning to learners and parents to verify institutions and qualifications before registering for post-school education and training in 2026, as fraudulent and unaccredited providers continue to target the public.
According to South African Government News Agency, the call was made during a joint media briefing of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), Umalusi, and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). At the briefing in Pretoria, the entities stressed that while the country's education system remains credible, the rise of bogus institutions poses a serious threat to learners' futures and families' finances. Umalusi chief executive officer (CEO), Dr. Mafu Rakometsi, warned and emphasised that no school public or private, may operate or issue qualifications without being properly registered and accredited.
He noted that while the majority of schools comply with legislation, Umalusi continues to encounter illegal operators who promise 'quick' matric certificates or shortcuts into the National Senior Certificate (NSC) system. 'Parents and learners must understand that only institutions registered with the provincial education departments and accredited by Umalusi may offer qualifications such as the NSC and NCV [National Certificate Vocational],' Rakometsi said. He warned that fraudulent matric rewrite centres, back-room tuition centres, and institutions using misleading names often emerge during the matric results period, preying on anxious learners.
QCTO CEO Vijayen Naidoo issued a firm warning against institutions falsely claiming to offer occupational certificates or the historic 'Red Seal' trade test. 'As opportunities grow in the occupational training space, so does the number of unaccredited and bogus institutions claiming to offer QCTO certificates. Let us be clear: a QCTO qualification is only valid if it is offered by a QCTO-accredited skills development provider and assessed through a QCTO-accredited trade test or assessment centre,' he said.
Naidoo said the QCTO currently has over 900 occupational qualifications and part qualifications registered on the NQF, all developed by industry and aimed at boosting employability and productivity in key sectors, including new and emerging occupations such as renewable energy, solar photovoltaic installation, and hybrid vehicle technologies. However, he cautioned that fraudulent providers many of whom are operating online continue to lure learners with promises of guaranteed certificates, fast-track trade tests and 'Red Seal' qualifications without assessment.
The QCTO is currently managing the national transition away from outdated pre-2009 qualifications. While all already-achieved legacy qualifications remain valid, students who have not yet completed them must take note of the tightened timelines. The last enrolment for pre-2009 qualifications is now June 2026, with completion deadlines extending between June 2027 and June 2029, depending on programme-specific teach-out periods.
CHE CEO Dr Whitfield Green reaffirmed the credibility of South Africa's higher education system but warned that capacity constraints and the existence of bogus institutions make vigilance essential. Of the more than 815,000 candidates who sat for matric exams this year, the post-school education and training system can only absorb about half placing many young people in the crosshairs of illegal operators.
The CHE announced several key developments expected to reshape South Africa's higher education landscape, including a new policy on institutional types published in May 2025, allowing for public and private universities, university colleges, and higher education colleges. A revised Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework is to be published in the coming months.
During the briefing, CHE Communications Manager Ntokozo Bhengu made an appeal, highlighting the devastating effect bogus institutions have on families especially in rural areas. 'It saddens us when you find a student from a rural area whose parents had to sell livestock to pay for tuition, only to discover upon graduation that the qualification is not registered. The student has been duped and scammed, and the parents have lost money,' Bhengu urged.
The entities concluded the briefing with a unified message to the class of 2025, parents, teachers, and community leaders to verify the institution, and the programme offered because their future is too important to risk. Accredited qualifications and providers can be checked on the QCTO website, SAQA qualification search, and DHET registers. The quality councils reaffirmed their commitment to protecting learners, strengthening employer partnerships, and closing the space for fraudsters.