By Johnathan Paoli

Fifty South African graduates from 21 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are set to depart for China next week to undertake a fully funded, one-year e-commerce training programme aimed at strengthening digital commerce skills and promoting entrepreneurship among young people.

The group will depart from OR Tambo International Airport on Monday, as part of an international skills development initiative led by the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA), in partnership with the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre (CCIEEC).

According to W&RSETA, the programme is designed to equip young South Africans with practical skills in digital commerce, international retail standards and global trade trends, while exposing them to one of the world’s most advanced and competitive e-commerce environments.

“The programme is mainly aimed at equipping South African youth in digital commerce towards a drive to maximise a culture of entrepreneurship largely within the retail sector,” W&RSETA said in a statement.

The selected graduates were drawn from 21 TVET colleges across the country following a competitive process.

Their participation forms part of W&RSETA’s broader international programme, which identifies students annually and facilitates their training at foreign higher education institutions, while also ensuring exposure to global retail companies.

The China-based training goes beyond theoretical learning and is expected to include hands-on exposure to e-commerce platforms, online retail operations, digital marketing, logistics and supply-chain management, as well as international consumer trends.

Participants will also gain insight into cross-border trade practices and business management in a rapidly digitising global economy.

W&RSETA has positioned the initiative as a response to the growing importance of e-commerce within South Africa’s wholesale and retail sector.

As online shopping continues to expand locally, the authority has emphasised the need for specialised skills to support innovation, competitiveness and job creation in the industry.

The programme builds on a previous cohort of 82 TVET graduates who participated in the pilot phase launched in 2023.

That group completed the one-year training in China and returned to South Africa in May 2025. W&RSETA has described the pilot as a key milestone that helped refine the structure of the programme and strengthen collaboration with Chinese partners.

The initiative forms part of the authority’s long-term strategy to develop globally competitive skills within the wholesale and retail sector.

Youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges, with young people continuing to face limited access to work opportunities, particularly in high-growth sectors linked to technology and digital services.

Skills development programmes that combine vocational training, international exposure and entrepreneurship support are increasingly viewed as critical interventions to address this challenge.

The focus on TVET graduates is also aligned with national priorities to strengthen vocational education and ensure that training is closely linked to industry needs.

By providing international exposure, W&RSETA aims to enhance the employability of graduates while encouraging them to apply their skills in local businesses or establish their own enterprises upon returning home.

The departure will take place at the International Departures terminal on Monday morning.

Upon completion of the programme, the graduates are expected to return to South Africa with enhanced technical skills, global perspectives and entrepreneurial insight.

W&RSETA has indicated that it will continue to support and engage with programme alumni to promote knowledge transfer and contribute to the growth of South Africa’s digital and retail economy.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is preparing to admit more than 9 000 first-time entering students (FTENs) for the 2026 academic year, with firm offers set to be issued to successful applicants from next week.

This follows the official release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results scheduled for next Tuesday.

UKZN said it received an exceptionally high volume of applications, underscoring intense competition for limited study places.

“A significant number of provisional offers were issued last year, with the University receiving more than 326 546 applications. This figure reflects multiple programme choices per applicant for the 9 124 first-year places available in 2026,” the university said.

In the previous admissions cycle, UKZN received more than 290 000 individual applications for approximately 8 600 first-year places, illustrating demand that continues to far outstrip capacity.

The most sought-after programmes for 2026 are the Bachelor of Nursing, which received 27 763 applications; the Bachelor of Education, with 25 826 applications; and the Bachelor of Laws, which attracted 25 231 applicants.

UKZN’s Executive Director for Corporate Relations, Normah Zondo, said firm offers would be issued in batches once matric results are verified, provided applicants meet the conditions of their provisional offers.

Successful FTENs are urged to register within the official registration period, scheduled from 2 to 7 February.

Meanwhile, remote online registration for returning students opened on Tuesday and will close on 13 February.

Zondo said the university was well prepared for a smooth and orderly registration process.

“UKZN continues its annual practice of a strictly online registration process and urges prospective students to remain vigilant against registration scams,” she said.

She reiterated the university’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its admissions system.

“Legal action will be taken against any individuals who misappropriate the University’s name, logo or symbols to defraud prospective students. Places at UKZN are not for sale.”

Applicants and members of the public were advised to rely only on information published on the official UKZN website and verified social media platforms to avoid misinformation and fraudulent offers.

According to UKZN’s 2024 Annual Report, the institution registered approximately 9 230 FTENs that year, reaffirming its position as a leading destination for South Africa’s school leavers.

Zondo added that all registered students will be required to present official proof of registration to access campus facilities.

The academic year is scheduled to begin with first-semester lectures on 9 February 2026.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The Department of Basic Education has withheld the 2025 matric results of 40 learners implicated in a national exam leak investigation, as it moves to contain the fallout from one of the most serious breaches of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) system in recent years.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on Friday released the interim findings and recommendations of the National Investigation Task Team (NITT), established after reports emerged of leaked question papers and irregular conduct during the 2025 matric examinations.

Gwarube confirmed that the affected candidates will be subjected to independent disciplinary hearings after interim findings by the National Investigation Task Team (NITT) established that they had accessed leaked examination material.

“As part of these processes, each of the 40 candidates will be subjected to an independent hearing,” Gwarube said. 

“Where a candidate is found guilty by an independent presiding officer, this finding together with the recommendations will go through the provincial and national examination irregularity committees, and ultimately Umalusi will be the final arbiter.”

The hearings follow evidence that seven NSC papers were unlawfully accessed and circulated ahead of the 2025 examinations. These include English Home Language Papers 1 and 2, Mathematics Papers 1 and 2, and Physical Sciences Papers 1 and 2. 

The breach was detected after markers identified unusual similarities between learner scripts and official marking guidelines.

According to the NITT’s interim report, the leak originated from within the Department of Basic Education’s secure examination environment, where question papers are set and stored. One departmental official whose child wrote the 2025 NSC is alleged to have been involved, with evidence suggesting the learner further distributed the material.

“Candidate one received the USB with the question papers and the marking guidelines from their mother, an employee at the Department of Basic Education in Pretoria,” the report states.

Investigators interviewed 21 learners and analysed 17 written statements, ultimately identifying 40 candidates in the Tshwane area who had accessed the leaked papers. The materials were shared through USB drives, WhatsApp messages, screenshots and printed copies, with some candidates using artificial intelligence tools to structure and reformulate their answers.

Despite the breach, Gwarube stressed that the matter was localised and did not undermine the credibility of the overall examination process.

“Forty is a very small number compared to the almost 900,000 candidates who wrote the 2025 examinations,” she said. 

“Because the number of implicated candidates is so small, the NSC remains credible.”

Umalusi has since certified the integrity of the 2025 NSC examinations, allowing results to be released to non-implicated learners. However, the 40 identified candidates will not receive their results until the disciplinary process is finalised.

Department of Basic Education Director-General Mathanzima Mweli said criminal charges may also follow, particularly for learners who are legally adults.

“The new development from the NITT is that there are learners who are 18 years and above, and those learners can be pursued in terms of criminal charges,” Mweli said.

“We have done it before and we are going to do it with those learners who are 18 years and above.”

Possible sanctions include the nullification of results in affected subjects and a ban from rewriting those subjects for up to three examination sessions.

“We will not compromise the future of thousands of honest learners because of the actions of a few,” Gwarube said. 

“Those who compromise the NSC don’t only break rules, they attempt to steal opportunities from honest learners.”

The NITT’s investigation continues, with forensic examinations of electronic devices and financial records under way as the department moves to tighten exam security and prevent future breaches.

INSIDE EDUCATION