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February 22, 2024

Expert advice for PHEIs

Dr Shaheeda Essack, Director of Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) at the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), shared valuable insights at the recent SAPHE member meeting in February. She highlighted key areas for continued success within the sector, which has grown significantly, now enrolling more than 20 per cent of all higher education students.


Dr Essack, a seasoned expert in PHEI management and monitoring, focused on both business and academic operations.


Sound business and academic operations


Dr Essack underscored the importance of robust financial planning, effective systems, competent staff appointments, and the delivery of accredited, quality programmes. She cautioned against misrepresenting qualifications, a pitfall that could lead to deregistration.


Mitigating Risks and Ensuring Compliance


Regarding risk management, Dr Essack stressed the need to understand the PSET sector thoroughly, considering both internal and external factors shaping its past, present, and future. She advised PHEIs to learn from past experiences, identify future trends, and stay informed and compliant with relevant legislation and annual reporting requirements.


Operational efficiency


Dr Essack encouraged clear and transparent operations. She recommended that institutions maintain control over all their academic functions, including marketing and advertising, rather than outsourcing.


Student engagement


She advocated for transparent grievance policies and comprehensive student orientations that clarify procedures and refund policies. Before involving the DHET, students should first engage with the institution to seek an internal resolution.


Dr Essack highlighted the importance of student representation on various levels, as mandated by the CHE. However, she clarified that representation does not equate to governing or managing the institution. She mentioned that student concerns were mainly in two areas, related to the contractual agreement and teaching and learning. Student feedback on teaching and learning was critical and useful for the institution in improving the quality of the learning programmes.


Partnerships and policy


Discussing public/private partnerships, Dr Essack emphasised the need for clarity on what such partnerships involve and a regulatory framework, acknowledging the absence of one currently.


Responding to a query about the Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types, she said she anticipates its release for public comment by the end of March, with finalisation expected before the year's end.



In conclusion, Dr Essack commended PHEIs for their remarkable progress, encouraging them to continue their positive trajectory and “to walk the straight path”. Dr Jannie Zaaiman, Chair of the SAPHE Board, thanked Dr Essack for the insights she shared with SAPHE members and affirmed their commitment to good governance and collaboration.

Celebrating Excellence: SAPHE Awards 2024

By Rian Nell • November 26, 2024
The inaugural SAPHE Excellence Awards 2024 celebrated a significant milestone in recognising academic excellence within the private higher education sector. As an exciting new initiative by SAPHE, these awards recognise excellence across the three core business areas: Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, and Community Engagement. Each category honours impactful contributions that advance education, foster collaboration, and benefit society. Dr Celia Booyse, one of the judges, noted that a rigorous evaluation process was followed. The panel developed criteria as bases for the deliberations on each submission, the reasoning for evaluation and as qualitative and quantitative evidence. Key questions guiding the evaluation included assessing whether contributions represented new developments, their relevance to education and/or society at large, the level of collaboration and cooperation involved, and the rigour of research practices. The criteria helped assess whether a contribution was outstanding, remarkable, or average. An outstanding contribution was characterised as significant, noteworthy, and impactful within its domain, representing an excellent achievement for the broader educational sector. A remarkable contribution was recognised for its originality and innovative practices that exceeded conventional norms, standing out as well above average and surpassing minimum standards Entries from Boston City Campus, The Da Vinci Institute and Tsiba secured the winning trophies in the categories of Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, and Community Engagement respectively.  The SAPHE Excellence Awards 2024 underscored the invaluable contributions of private higher education institutions in advancing innovation, education, and societal impact. These remarkable achievements provide inspiration and a benchmark for future endeavours. SAPHE Award winners: Teaching and Learning : Boston City Campus, with academics Dr Rob Stegmann, Ms Colette Heunes, Prof. Cobus Oosthuizen, and Dr Janet Viljoen taking the trophy for their multi-faceted entry. Research : Dr Tadi Rampai (Posthumous) from The Da Vinci Institute. Community Engagement : Mr John Durr and Mr Earl-Djehuti Erasmus from Tsiba. Runners-up: Teaching and Learning : 1st runner-up, Ms Annetjie Pretorius (The Independent Institute of Education); 2nd runner-up, Ms Riana Prins and Dr Cecelia Rosa (IMM Graduate School). Research: 1 st runner-up, Ms Jaclyn van Rensburg (Red & Yellow Creative School of Business); 2 nd runner-up, Dr Rob Stegmann (Boston City Campus). Community Engagement : 1st Runner-Up, Ms. Sarina Till (The Independent Institute of Education); 2nd runner-up, Dr Daud Taranikhe (The Da Vinci Institute).

Second SAPHE Conference: A Resounding Success!

November 19, 2024
The 2nd Annual SAPHE Conference, held on 5–6 November at the IMM Graduate School, exceeded expectations, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees. The event was abuzz with activity, high-level discussions, and dynamic conversations centred on higher education (HE), with a particular focus on private higher education Under the theme, Leading innovation in Higher Education (HE), the Conference featured prominent keynote speakers, thought-provoking panel discussions, interactive workshops and insightful research presentations.

Fostering collaboration: Deputy Minister Gondwe meets with SAPHE

October 3, 2024
On Monday, 30 September, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, met with SAPHE to familiarise herself with the association’s achievements and challenges, and to foster stronger relations between the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and SAPHE. Dr Gondwe has been tasked with overseeing private higher education (PHE) institutions as part of her portfolio. According to SAPHE Chair, Dr Carin Stoltz-Urban, the introductory meeting was conducted in a collegial and positive spirit. "It was clear that the Deputy Minister is well-informed about the department's priorities and eager to cooperate with stakeholders in the private higher education sector, such as SAPHE," noted Dr Stoltz-Urban. Compliance, a significant focus given the recent deregistration of some PHEIs, was one of the key topics addressed. Dr Gondwe emphasised the critical role SAPHE can play in promoting compliance and good governance within the sector. She encouraged SAPHE to establish a resource centre to provide institutions with access to documents, advice and guidance on compliance matters, to compile best-practice guidelines, and offer capacity-building workshops, peer learning opportunities, and networking events for PHEIs. In addition, Dr Gondwe urged SAPHE members to conduct employability studies, specifically on job placement, highlighting the importance of measuring the impact of private higher education on job creation and inclusive socio-economic growth. She invited SAPHE members to an Employment and Investment Summit the department will be hosting in November which will involve key industry stakeholders. Representing SAPHE at the meeting were Dr Carin Stoltz-Urban, SAPHE CEO Nancy-Anne Anderson, and Shirley Ferndale from the IIE, who is also actively involved in the broader higher education sector through the Registrars' Forum, among other initiatives. The SAPHE team took the opportunity to present the association’s role and mandate, while also discussing issues such as disparities in the higher education sector and the policy on institutional types. The constructive meeting set a positive tone for future engagement. "As SAPHE, we are encouraged by the Deputy Minister’s willingness to support the private higher education sector, and we are dedicated to working with the DHET to advance quality higher education overall," said Dr Stoltz-Urban.
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