By Johnathan Paoli
South Africa’s education sector has scored a major international victory with the appointment of Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi as the new president of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA).
Umalusi, which is the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, confirmed the news with pride.
“We congratulate our CEO, Dr Mafu S. Rakometsi, on his appointment as the president of the International Association for Educational Assessment,” the council said on social media platform X.
The announcement, which has been welcomed by the country’s largest teacher union, Sadtu, marks a significant milestone for the country’s standing in global education quality assurance.
The IAEA is a globally respected body that brings together assessment professionals from over 50 countries across all continents.
Its membership includes national examination boards, university departments, government education agencies and research institutions that focus on education evaluation in primary and secondary schooling, post-school education and the workplace.
The association also provides a platform for advancing scholarly and policy debates on student achievement and quality learning.
With a career in the public service spanning more than four decades, Rakometsi has held multiple leadership positions and remains one of South Africa’s most respected education administrators.
Born and raised in Matjhabeng in the Free State, Rakometsi has been instrumental in strengthening education quality assurance mechanisms across the country.
Under his leadership, Umalusi has developed a reputation for upholding rigorous and credible standards in the certification of school and college qualifications.
He has championed various reforms that modernised assessment processes, improved public confidence in national examinations and promoted data-driven insights into learner performance.
Rakometsi is widely recognised for his strategic thinking, administrative excellence and commitment to education transformation.
Sadtu issued a congratulatory statement, hailing Rakometsi’s election to the prestigious global position.
“Dr Rakometsi’s appointment is a significant honour and recognition of his outstanding leadership, experience and commitment to educational quality assurance,” Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi said.
The union further noted that his presidency affirmed the depth of South African educational expertise and enhanced the international credibility of institutions like Umalusi.
“It places South Africa firmly on the world stage in terms of matters of assessment and quality education,” Cembi added.
Sadtu pledged its ongoing support for Rakometsi’s efforts to advance fair and equitable educational assessments both nationally and internationally.
His elevation to the presidency of IAEA is expected to amplify the voice of developing countries in the global education discourse, especially in how assessment tools and methodologies are designed to reflect diverse contexts and developmental challenges.
Rakometsi is also expected to advocate for more inclusive approaches that accommodate the realities of Global South education systems, particularly in Africa.
With educational equity and standards increasingly under the spotlight globally, his role will be key in advancing policies that ensure meaningful, fair and culturally relevant assessment systems.
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