South Africa is home to over 300 higher education institutions which include universities, TVET Colleges, private colleges and private higher education institutions. With all these options to study further, the Department of Higher Education now has a target of 1.6 million students enrolled by 2030.
During his speech at the launch of the 2023 tertiary institutions youth campaign, Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande said that in 2020, our Post-School Education and Training system had 343 institutions:
- 26 public universities
- 132 private Higher Education Institutions
- 50 TVET Colleges
- 126 private colleges
- 9 community colleges
In 2020, over 1.3 million students were enrolled in higher education in the country, with the majority of enrolments in public institutions. Nzimande then announced that the target in the National Development Plan is 1.6 million enrolments by 2030.
There has however been a decrease in TVET College enrolments, with the number of students attending going from 673 490 in 2019 to 452 277 in 2020, a 32.8% decrease. The NDP indicates that headcount enrolment in TVET colleges should reach 2.5 million by 2030 and 1 million enrolled in community colleges by 2030.
The Department of Higher Education (DHET) is now in the process of building two new universities, a University of Science and Innovation and the second university will concentrate on detecting and preventing crime.
Government also plans to implement new infrastructure for the following 16 TVET colleges:
- Msinga Campus of UMgungundlovu TVET College at Cwaka
- Greytown Campus of Umgungundlovu TVET College at Greytown
- Umzimkhulu Campus of Esayidi TVET College at Umzimkhulu
- Bhambanana Campus of Umfolozi TVET College at Bhambanana
- Nkandla A Campus of Umfolozi TVET College at Nkandla Town
- Nkandla B Campus of Umfolozi TVET College at Nkumgamathe
- Vryheid Engineering Campus of Mthashana TVET College at Vryheid
- Nongoma Campus of Mthashana TVET College at Nongoma
- Kwagqikasi Campus of Mthashana TVET College at Nongoma
- Giyani Campus of Letaba TVET College at Giyani
- Balfour Campus of Gert Sibande TVET College at Balfour
- Aliwal North Campus of Ikhala TVET College at Aliwal North
- Sterkspruit Campus TVET College of Ikhala at Sterkspruit
- Ngqungqushe Campus of Ingwe TVET College at Lusikisiki
- Graaff Reneitt Campus of East Cape Midlands at Graaff Reneitt
- Thabazimbi Campus of Waterberg TVET College at Thabazimbi.
National Student Financial Aid Scheme
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is government's offering to those who come from poor and working class backgrounds who want to study. The scheme offers a bursary which covers tuition, registration, accommodation and other student costs.
The number of students funded by NSFAS increased from 580 000 in 2018 to 770 000 in 2021 and currently, NSFAS has approved the provisional funding of a record of 1 083 055 students. A budget of R47.6 billion is targeted for NSFAS funding.
