PODCAST | South Africa’s underperforming education system

The state of education in South Africa is the focus of this edition of Business Day Spotlight.

Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Linda Meyer, MD of IIE Rosebank College.

The conversation explores the alignment of national education policy with economic needs, the challenges facing public institutions and the expanding role of private higher education.

Meyer emphasises a lack of coherence in South Africa’s integrated national education policy, noting that while higher education targets are being met, community education and training (CET) and tertiary and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges are underperforming.

According to the education leader, private higher education is growing at about 7% annually, compared to 1%-1.6% in the public sector.

Rosebank College was established to provide affordable, quality education for students from working-class and “missing middle” households, those earning up to R600,000 annually, who cannot secure a place at public universities.

The institution has become the fastest-growing public or private higher education provider in the country, expecting more than 40,000 students in 2026.

Meyer criticises the current sector education & training authority (Seta) system, citing fragmentation, mismanagement and corruption. She suggests consolidating Setas into a single statutory body with industry-specific chambers.

To address the shortage of student accommodation and university spaces, Meyer advocates more robust collaboration between the government and private providers, including tax credits for private institutions that provide student bursaries.

In the discussion, Meyer details the state of South Africa’s education system; the growth of private education; issues around access; and the case for public-private partnerships .

Join the discussion:

Producer: Demi Buzo

Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcasts production.

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