Manamela Urges Matriculants to Explore Alternatives

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has encouraged matriculants to consider a variety of post-school opportunities, as universities cannot accommodate all qualifying learners.

The department has projected about 235,000 first-year university spaces for the 2026 academic year. While this is a substantial intake, it falls short of the total number of eligible applicants. Learners are therefore being urged to apply on time and to explore alternative routes such as Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges. These are recognised as important pathways into further study, skills development, and employment.

Although access to higher education has improved over time, dropout rates, especially among first-year students, remain a concern. Discussions are underway with institutions to make student success rates more transparent.

At present, South Africa’s universities enrol around 1.1 million students, TVET colleges about 527,000, and CET colleges approximately 130,000 learners. Through NSFAS, around 900,000 students receive bursaries and loans each year, while SETAs continue to provide thousands of learnerships, apprenticeships, and skills programmes.

On student funding, the department has developed a mechanism to address the shortfall experienced in 2025. By reprioritising R13.3 billion, support will be extended to 34,000 students with blocked registrations and 15,000 with second-semester registrations. NSFAS will also reopen its registration portal and release outstanding payments to accommodation providers.

Despite these measures, the scheme remains under pressure due to rising demand, increasing living costs, and reduced state resources. The department is expected to announce further steps towards sustainable funding later this year.