By Johnathan Paoli
The Higher Education and Training Department has acknowledged ongoing challenges in enrolments for the 2025 academic year, saying that urgent interventions are needed.
There have been issues at universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges.
In a detailed report to the Select Committee on Education, Science and Creative Industries, the department outlined issues such as institutional capacity constraints, delays in admissions and the impact of financial aid distribution on student placements.
“We are committed to expanding access to higher education, but financial and infrastructure constraints remain a challenge. While we work to improve enrolment capacity, address lecturer shortages and modernise curricula, collaboration with industry and increased investment are crucial,” deputy director-general for TVETs, Sam Zungu, said.
For the 2025 academic year, 615,429 students obtained the National Senior Certificate, with 337,158 qualifying for a Bachelor’s pass.
The demand for higher education continues to grow, with most successful applicants coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and relying on National Student Financial Aid Scheme funding.
However, many students face significant challenges securing placements in universities due to limited spaces and high entrance requirements.
Late applications remain a pressing issue, as several universities, including Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Durban University of Technology and the University of Johannesburg, had to reopen applications to accommodate the high demand.
Some universities, such as CPUT and the University of Zululand, also accepted walk-in applications, further complicating the registration process.
As of March, university enrolments reached 91.7% of the government’s target, with undergraduate programmes nearly at full capacity.
However, postgraduate enrolments lag at 77%, reflecting systemic barriers for students who wish to further their studies.
The TVET sector, with a planned capacity of over 500,000 students for 2025, continues to grapple with challenges that limit enrolment expansion including infrastructure limitations, accommodation shortages, staff shortages and late applications
The department acknowledged the need for more investment to expand the capacity of TVET colleges.
Zungu highlighted that the government’s budget allocations for TVETs have averaged R15.2 billion annually, which is sufficient for only 480,000 enrolments. This figure falls far short of the 2.5 million enrolments targeted for 2030.
The CET sector, comprising nine colleges and over 1,500 learning centres, remains underfunded and under-supported.
The department outlined critical problems, including a lack of digital registration systems and insufficient teaching materials.
The department’s deputy director-general for CET colleges, Thembisa Futshane, confirmed that the sector also suffered from a shortage of lecturers, particularly in Science and Mathematics, as professionals opted for better-paying opportunities in schools, TVET colleges and universities.
To address these gaps, the department was working with institutions such as the CPUT to develop digital learning platforms for critical subjects, making education more accessible to students in remote areas.
The department called for expanding university capacity by working with institutions to increase spaces in high-demand programmes, particularly Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and strengthening TVET infrastructure by allocating more funds to improve learning facilities and provide student accommodation.
It said the implementation of the Central Application Services was aimed at streamlining student applications and reducing delays, while initiatives were underway to train more educators, particularly in Mathematics and Science, to address shortages.
Deputy director-general for university education, Marcia Socikwa raised concerns over strict university admission criteria, stating that public institutions should serve a broader student base rather than only top performers.
She said a more flexible system was needed that accommodated middle-performing students.
The department is also tackling a growing skills mismatch with efforts underway to align university programmes with labour market demands.
A major concern is the declining number of students taking pure Mathematics, which has impacted STEM enrolment.
“Everywhere in the world Mathematics is the foundation for learning to solve problems and if we do not pay attention, we will not be able to solve our own problems,” she warned.
To address this, the department is collaborating with the Basic Education Department and universities to promote Mathematics through initiatives like the upcoming Maths Festival with the University of the Western Cape.
Additionally, the government has invested R720 million in language development, ensuring institutions embrace multilingualism, with plans in place to enhance the training of maths and physics lecturers amid a growing shortage.
Lastly, the department is putting plans in place to introduce structural reforms to ensure timely disbursement of funds and prevent corruption.
The department said it was actively working on increasing institutional capacity, improving financial aid processes and strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors, considering the year presenting significant challenges for higher education admissions.
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