Fake university warning for South Africans

Experts warned that South Africans should be wary of “bogus”, unregistered higher education institutions, which could leave them wasting their time and money on useless, unaccredited degrees.

Many young South Africans are scrambling to find university placement to boost their job prospects. However, certain unregistered institutions are leaving South Africans with degrees which are essentially worthless.

Council on Higher Education acting CEO Dr Sanele Nene explained the prevalence of this problem on Newzroom Afrika.

The Council on Higher Education, he explained, is mandated to ensure institutions registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) meet the standards required by the National Qualifications Framework.

Importantly, no higher education institution in South Africa may offer any program that is not accredited by the Council on Higher Education.

If an institution is offering an “inferior” qualification, they are deemed to be a “suspect” or “bogus” institution, Nene said.

The Council has been conducting information campaigns nationwide to educate people, particularly students, on how to distinguish between authentic and bogus institutions.

“That is really our mandate – to protect students in the broader society from inferior education, but also from bogus institutions as best as we can.”

However, despite these efforts, Nene explained that these bogus institutions still remain prevalent in South Africa.

“We unfortunately can’t say at this stage that this is a war we’ve won, because you shoot one institution today, it springs up tomorrow in a different way in another place.”

He urged students and parents who are unsure about a certain institution to make sure they are accredited before applying.

“The Department of Higher Education and Training keeps a register of all private education
institutions and the programs and qualifications that they offer, as well as the sites where they offer those.”

The status of specific qualifications can be confirmed by visiting the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) website. SAQA is the authority responsible for listing all valid qualifications in South Africa.

Bogus universities shut down

On top of information campaigns, the DHET has also made an effort to shut down unregistered higher education institutions.

On 13 December 2025, the DHET announced that its minister, Buti Manamela, issued a Notice of Intent to Cancel the registration of three private higher education institutions, namely:

• City Varsity
• Damelin
• ICESA City Campus

The Department explained that this action followed a prolonged pattern of non-compliance with the Higher Education Act and the Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions.

“The decision is therefore undertaken in the interest of protecting students and upholding the integrity of the sector,” DHET said.

“The Department has an obligation to ensure that private institutions deliver quality education and demonstrate financial sustainability.” They explained that this decision was based on several critical factors.

First, all three institutions failed to submit their 2024 Annual Reports, despite being granted an extension until 30 June 2024 and a final remedial deadline of 6 June 2025.

They also failed to demonstrate financial and operational sustainability, since they did not provide the Registrar with the required documentation.

This includes their audited annual financial statements, proof of financial surety/guarantees, SARS tax compliance certificates, and their occupational health and safety compliance documentation.

Finally, the Department said it had received reliable confirmation that two of the institutions, namely City Varsity and ICESA City Campus, have ceased operating, and are therefore not providing higher education within the meaning of the Act.

Following this notice, the unaccredited institutions will be given an opportunity to make representations, as required by law.

The Department assured that it will ensure that students affected by this process are supported through appropriate academic and administrative arrangements. It added that the DHET remains unequivocally committed to:

• Protecting students from being enrolled in institutions that cannot demonstrate financial and operational sustainability;
• Ensuring that providers of higher education operate within the legal and quality assurance framework;
• Acting decisively to uphold the integrity of the South African higher education system.

“Institutions that fail to meet their legal and educational obligations cannot be allowed to compromise the futures of the people they serve.”