TVET colleges told to expect 520 000 students as NSFAS funding targets 700 000

The Department of Higher Education and Training is targeting more than 520 000 enrolments at technical and vocational education and training colleges in the current financial year, with funding for over 700 000 students through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Nomusa Dube-Ncube set out the numbers at an annual mass prayer for Grade 12 learners in the uMgungundlovu District in Pietermaritzburg. She said the targets form part of government’s efforts to expand access to post-school education and training, workplace-based learning and artisan development, and that the post-school system is backed by a budget of R443 billion over the medium term.

Alongside the TVET and NSFAS figures, Dube-Ncube said the department is targeting more than 1,15 million students at public universities, 91 800 workplace-based learning opportunities and 22 000 artisan certifications this year.

“This year, we are targeting more than 1.15 million students at our public universities. 91 800 workplace-based learning opportunities, so that you learn on the job, not only in the classroom. And 22 000 artisan certifications,” she said.

She urged learners to look beyond South Africa’s borders for funded study, pointing to partnerships with China, Germany and Hungary. She named the Chinese Government Scholarship, administered with the China Scholarship Council, and the Funda Germany programme at Constructor University in Bremen, saying young South Africans are studying abroad with tuition, travel and living costs covered and returning with skills the country needs.

“Visit internationalscholarships.dhet.gov.za and keep checking it. These opportunities are real, they are funded, and they are meant for learners like you, particularly learners from no-fee schools and rural communities,” the Deputy Minister said.

Matriculants were also encouraged to apply for NSFAS funding for 2027 and to submit applications to more than one post-school institution, including universities and TVET colleges, so that they have options once results are released. Dube-Ncube told learners to research careers with facts, asking which jobs are growing, what they pay and what study they require, and to build basic digital and coding skills through free online courses while they wait for results.

She challenged the Class of 2026 to build on KwaZulu-Natal’s performance in the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations, in which the province was the country’s top performer with a pass rate of 90,6% and 89 161 bachelor passes, up from 84 470 the previous year. She encouraged learners to draw strength from their families, educators and communities while taking responsibility for their academic performance and future choices.

The enrolment and funding targets are stated as departmental intentions for the financial year. The document does not record how much of the TVET and NSFAS target has been met to date, or how the figures will be audited.

Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency), DHET targets over 520 000 TVET college enrolments