Engineering the next 50 years

South Africa is gearing up for one of the most significant overhauls of its post-school education and training system since democracy. Higher Education and Training MinisterButi Manamelais seeking to expand the role oftechnical and vocational education and training (TVET) collegesto tackle massification pressures. But first he has his eye on modernising higher education law, which he said had barely shifted since the late 1990s.

Manamela said the country must “engineer the system for the next 30 to 50 years”, noting that the country’sNational Development Plan(NDP) extended to only 2030. He warned that the post-school model, which was heavily weighted towards universities, was no longer aligned with the skills demands of a rapidly changing economy. “South Africa cannot continue producing graduates for a labour market that has already moved on,” he said.

“TVET colleges offer so much potential and it’s not being tapped. Universities are overloaded and we need alternative pathways that are credible, high-quality and linked to real work opportunities.” The shift is not rhetorical. South Africa has expanded occupational programmes from 15 to nearly 800 in just a few years, with colleges now expected to integrate classroom learning, workshop training and workplace experience — a model inspired by the German, Austrian and Swiss dual training systems — which Manamela believes could help change the narrative.

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The minister said the reforms were reshaping student behaviour. “We’re seeing more students choosing occupational trades and the quality of programmes is improving. The dual system is becoming a reality.” Yet the numbers reveal the scale of the challenge.

The system peaked at about 700 000 before sliding to just under 450 000. However, the minister said momentum was returning, with a target of 580 000 students by the end of the current academic year, helped by hybrid delivery models that gained traction during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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