Makau Skills Academy delivers QCTO-accredited occupational qualifications and skills programmes registered on South Africa's National Qualifications Framework — built for learners who need more than a certificate.
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is a statutory body established in 2010 under the Skills Development Act. Its mandate is to oversee the design, accreditation, assessment, and certification of all occupational qualifications in South Africa.
Unlike legacy or historically registered qualifications that are being phased out, QCTO occupational qualifications are built directly from industry input — meaning they reflect what employers actually need. Every qualification sits on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF), which is one of three integrated sub-frameworks of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) managed by SAQA.
For learners, this means the certificate you earn is nationally recognised, quality-assured, and directly linked to a defined occupation. For employers, it means every MSA-trained candidate has been assessed against a verified national standard — not just a provider's internal mark.
This structure is what separates an occupational qualification from a classroom-only certificate. It ensures that every learner graduates with knowledge, competence, and real-world experience — not just theory.
The structured, provider-delivered learning that gives learners the conceptual base for their occupation. Delivered by MSA as an accredited Skills Development Provider, this component is assessed by the provider before learners progress.
Hands-on application of the knowledge module in a simulated or real work environment. Learners demonstrate technical competence in conditions that mirror actual workplace demands — not just pass a written test.
Structured, assessed time in an actual workplace — coordinated through MSA's employer network and strategic partnerships. This component ensures learners are genuinely ready for employment, not just theoretically prepared.
Before receiving their Occupational Certificate, all learners must pass an EISA conducted by a QCTO-accredited Assessment Centre — an independent, nationally standardised exam that verifies competence across all three components. This is what makes the qualification genuinely credible to employers: the final mark is not set by your training provider.
All programmes below are delivered in accordance with QCTO standards and the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework. Delivery modes include in-person, blended, and workplace-integrated learning. Contact us to confirm current intake dates and employer-supported options.
Equips learners to coordinate office processes, manage communication, support scheduling and records, and perform basic financial administration. High employment demand across public and private sectors.
Prepares learners to plan and execute projects within scope, time, and budget constraints. Covers risk management, stakeholder communication, and resource allocation across industry sectors.
Ideal for entry-level learners entering customer service, business process outsourcing, or call centre environments. Covers communication, system usage, compliance, and customer handling protocols.
A shorter, occupation-directed skills programme targeting team leaders and first-line supervisors. Focuses on practical management skills, performance monitoring, and workplace communication.
Covers recruitment, employee relations, HR administration, and compliance with South African labour law. Aligned to real HR department functions and SETA-recognised for B-BBEE Skills Spend purposes.
A partner-supported occupational learning pathway developed in collaboration with Bidvest Cubstrut. Combines structured training with real workplace exposure in an industrial environment. Enquire for current intake details.
Programme availability is subject to current QCTO accreditation scope and intake cycles. Contact us to confirm your specific programme.
Partnering with MSA to place employees or unemployed youth into QCTO-accredited programmes is one of the most efficient ways to meet your Skills Development scorecard requirements under the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice.
Because QCTO occupational qualifications are registered on the NQF and managed through the OQSF, spend on these programmes is recognised across multiple pillars of the B-BBEE scorecard — including Skills Development, Management Control pipelines, and Socio-Economic Development for unemployed youth entering YES4Youth pathways.
MSA manages the full learning journey: enrolment, attendance tracking, portfolio compilation, EISA registration, and certification reporting — so your HR and transformation teams have auditable evidence, not admin burden.
MSA works with employers across KwaZulu-Natal and nationally to structure QCTO-aligned learnerships and skills programmes that are funded, compliant, and results-driven.
QCTO qualifications follow a defined pathway. Here is what your journey with MSA looks like — from your first contact to receiving a nationally recognised Occupational Certificate.
Contact MSA via the form, WhatsApp, or phone. We'll confirm which programme fits your background, current NQF level, and career goals — including whether employer funding or SETA bursaries apply.
Sign your learner agreement and complete a short induction covering the programme structure, portfolio requirements, EISA process, and your rights as a registered learner on the OQSF.
Attend structured learning sessions delivered by MSA's qualified facilitators. You'll build your Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) throughout, documenting skills as you acquire them — not just at the end.
Complete your assessed workplace hours in a real employment environment. MSA coordinates with employer partners to place learners where the workplace component is not self-arranged.
Sit your External Integrated Summative Assessment at a QCTO-accredited Assessment Centre. Upon passing, SAQA records your Occupational Certificate on the National Learner Records Database — permanently.
Qualifications at NQF Level 3 and 4 include an FLC component that builds literacy and numeracy to a standard that supports learning across the full qualification. If you have existing literacy and numeracy competencies, RPL may apply.
If you have relevant work experience, MSA can assess whether an RPL process applies — potentially reducing programme duration by crediting demonstrated competence against the qualification's requirements.
If you hold a pre-2009 unit standards-based qualification, those legacy credentials are being phased out of the NQF by 2027. Speak to MSA about transitioning to an equivalent QCTO occupational qualification to protect your formal record.
MSA operates as an accredited Skills Development Provider under the QCTO framework, meaning every programme we deliver meets the minimum criteria set by the Council. Learners receive qualifications that SAQA can verify.
Through partnerships like Bidvest Cubstrut and our YES4Youth management experience, MSA connects learners to real employers — not hypothetical workplaces. The workplace component is a genuine part of the design, not an afterthought.
From the moment you enquire to the moment you receive your Occupational Certificate, MSA manages the process — portfolio guidance, facilitator access, EISA registration, and post-qualification career coaching for individual learners.
For companies placing employees or unemployed youth, MSA handles all administration: enrolment, attendance registers, PoE compilation, SETA reporting, and EISA coordination. Your obligation is programme funding and workplace access.
MSA's QCTO programmes integrate with YES4Youth structures, enabling employers to simultaneously fulfil their YES4Youth obligations and their Skills Development B-BBEE commitments through a single, coordinated learner cohort.
QCTO's 2025–2030 mandate prioritises qualifications that respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Just Energy Transition. MSA aligns its programme portfolio with these national priorities, keeping learner skills market-relevant.
No — but it sits on the same NQF. A QCTO Occupational Certificate is an occupation-specific qualification registered on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF). Depending on the NQF level, it sits alongside diplomas and degrees in terms of formal recognition, but it is specifically designed for a defined occupation rather than broad academic study. Many employers consider it more directly relevant than a generic academic qualification for trade or technical roles.
QCTO certificates are internationally recognised within vocational and occupational training frameworks, particularly in countries with comparable NQF structures. For immigration and professional body purposes, individual countries may require additional verification through SAQA's foreign qualifications evaluation service. Within the SADC region, recognition is generally straightforward.
Historically, learnerships were registered and quality-assured by SETAs under unit standards-based frameworks. The QCTO is now the overarching body that sets and assures the standards for occupational qualifications — SETAs remain involved in funding and sector-specific development, but the quality assurance authority sits with the QCTO. Legacy SETA-based unit standards qualifications are being phased out; QCTO occupational qualifications are the current standard.
The External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) is a nationally standardised assessment conducted by a QCTO-accredited Assessment Centre — not by MSA. It tests competence across all three learning components (knowledge, practical, workplace) in an integrated way. MSA prepares learners throughout the programme with formative assessments, portfolio reviews, and mock assessments, so that the EISA is a verification of demonstrated competence, not a surprise exam.
Yes. Many QCTO programmes are designed for working learners. Blended and part-time delivery options, combined with workplace-integrated learning that uses your existing employment as the workplace component, make it possible to upskill while employed. Speak to MSA about structuring your programme around your work schedule.
Legacy qualifications registered before the QCTO frameworks were established are being phased out of the NQF. While your existing credential remains on your academic record, the last date for new enrolments on legacy qualifications was June 2024, and the last certification date is June 2027. If your qualification is approaching expiry or you want to formalise a transition to a current QCTO occupational qualification, MSA can assess your options including RPL pathways.
MSA coordinates workplace placement for unemployed learners through its employer partnerships and YES4Youth structures. This is an area where our Bidvest Cubstrut partnership and other employer relationships are particularly valuable — learners are placed in structured, assessed workplace environments that satisfy the QCTO's workplace component requirements without the learner needing to self-source employment.
Whether you're an individual learner looking to formalise your skills, or an employer building a B-BBEE-compliant training pipeline, MSA can structure the right QCTO pathway for you.