Understanding CHE Accreditation Status for South African Universities and Private Colleges
By Muntasir • Published Jan 12, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Guides
South Africa runs two separate checks on a higher education provider: registration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and quality accreditation of its programs by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). Public universities carry both automatically. Private colleges must appear on both official lists before you pay any fee.
🎓 Public universities like Wits, UCT and UJ do not need a separate DHET registration check, only their specific program matters.
📩 Private colleges must appear on the DHET Register of Private Higher Education Institutions.
💵 Paying fees to an unregistered private college risks a qualification that employers and other universities will not recognize.
⏱️ New private programs can take up to 24 months to clear CHE accreditation and land on the National Qualifications Framework.
Why South Africa checks accreditation twice
A South African higher education provider needs two separate approvals to legally teach you and award a real qualification. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) registers the institution itself. The Council on Higher Education (CHE), through its Higher Education Quality Committee, accredits the specific programs that institution offers. A college can be registered with DHET while running a program that has never been accredited, so checking only one list leaves a gap.
Public universities do not go through the DHET registration step. They are established directly by law, so registration is not the question for a public university. What still matters for a public university is whether the specific qualification you want sits on the National Qualifications Framework and carries CHE accreditation, since public universities occasionally run new or pilot programs that have not cleared the process yet.
What CHE accreditation actually confirms
CHE accreditation means a program has met the standards of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF): the curriculum, staffing, assessment and resources meet a minimum quality bar. Accreditation applies to individual qualifications, not blanket approval for an entire institution. A private college can hold accreditation for its business diploma while its new IT degree is still under review, or has been rejected outright.
According to the Council on Higher Education , students should confirm both the institution's registration and the specific program's accreditation status before enrolling, since the two do not automatically move together.
What DHET registration confirms
DHET registration means a private institution has met the legal requirements to operate as a higher education provider in South Africa: governance structures, financial stability and basic infrastructure. Registration is renewed periodically and can be withdrawn if a college stops meeting requirements, so a college that was registered two years ago is not automatically registered now.
How to check a private college before you apply
Get the exact legal name of the institution and the exact name of the qualification, not a marketing name used in adverts.
Open the DHET Register of Private Higher Education Institutions and search for the institution by name.
Note the registration number and expiry date shown next to the institution's entry.
Cross check the specific qualification against CHE's accredited programs information, since institutional registration alone does not confirm a given qualification is accredited.
Ask the admissions office directly for the CHE accreditation certificate and SAQA qualification ID for the exact program, and verify the ID independently rather than trusting a photocopy.
Red flags that a private college is not properly accredited
The college cannot produce a program-specific SAQA qualification ID, only a general company registration certificate.
Marketing materials describe the qualification as "recognized" or "registered" without naming DHET or CHE specifically.
The institution pressures you to pay a deposit before you have seen accreditation documents.
The qualification name on offer does not match any entry you can find on the official registers.
Accreditation status changes. A program approved last year can lapse if the college fails a renewal review, and a college under investigation can still be actively advertising and enrolling students. Check the register close to your application date rather than relying on a screenshot a friend sent you, and keep a saved copy of what you found in case you need it later for a qualification recognition dispute.