The Central Application Clearing House (CACH) provides matriculants with a second chance to gain access to tertiary institutions. CACH helps students whose initial application was unsuccessful but would qualify once their final Grade 12 results are released.
CACH collects application information from learners with Grade 12 results who are seeking placement at tertiary institutions. These tertiary institutions include universities, university of technology, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges.
The application information is uploaded to their system where institutions and the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) may view the information. Students are then selected from the system and contacted if they meet the necessary requirements for a particular degree at a tertiary institution.
Students will need to accept or decline the offer on the system before they can register at the institution. The CACH service is provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) as a free service to both applicants and institutions.
The service has been helping students find placement at institutions of higher learning since 2013. Thousands of students have received placement through the CACH service.
All public universities, TVET colleges, and SETAs access the CACH database to find students that meet the criteria of the spaces still available. Students will receive an SMS or email when they have received an offer.
Once the offer has been accepted, tertiary institutions will directly contact the student. Information drawn from the CACH service is treated with confidentiality and there is compliance with the protection of personal information act of 2013.
Students who are unsure about their career options may visit the CACH service for career advice. The career advice is provided by the DHETs Khetha Career Development Service.
Applicants may sign up for the CACH service in the following ways:
- USSD: *134*225#
- Whatsapp Chatbot: 078 776 8660
- Web portal: www.cach.ac.za
