What's changed for SETAs, QCTO-accredited providers and TES registration

The current SETA landscape was fixed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training from 1 April 2020 to run to 31 March 2030, so employers and SDFs are dealing with a settled — not shifting — set of SETAs for now. Two other things keep moving: QCTO's transition of qualifications onto the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework, and enforcement of TES/PEA registration under the Employment Services Act.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 15 September 2026.

In short

The Minister of Higher Education and Training re-established the SETAs within a new landscape for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2030.
The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) was re-established for a shorter, separate two-year period to 31 March 2022 under the same notice.
QCTO continues to run the transition of training providers and learners onto occupational qualifications under the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework, alongside legacy N4–N6 and historically registered qualifications.
All private employment agencies and Temporary Employment Services must register with the Department of Employment and Labour under the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014 — this remains an active enforcement focus, not a settled formality.

The 2020–2030 SETA landscape

After a public consultation process, the Minister of Higher Education and Training re-established the Sector Education and Training Authorities within a new SETA landscape from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2030, under section 9 of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998. The Mining Qualifications Authority was separately re-established for a two-year period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2022 under the same notice, before being folded into the standard SETA cycle.

For employers, the practical effect is that the SETA jurisdiction assigned to an organisation's sector should be stable through to March 2030 — a WSP/ATR should go to the SETA determined by that jurisdiction schedule, and any confusion about which SETA an employer falls under should be resolved against the current gazette rather than an older landscape document.

QCTO's occupational qualifications transition

QCTO's guide for skills development providers, 'The Road to Success', is maintained as a living document — the version referenced by QCTO carries an October 2024 date with an October 2025 review date, and QCTO notes that its accreditation processes may be updated and should be checked on its website for the latest version rather than assumed static.

SDPs delivering legacy qualifications (old trades, NATED N4–N6 programmes, historically registered qualifications) alongside new occupational qualifications need to track both frameworks, since accreditation, learner enrolment and certification rules differ between them.

QCTO explicitly flags that accreditation processes are subject to change — a provider relying on a saved copy of an older accreditation guide should check the current version on qcto.org.za before an application or renewal.

TES and labour broker registration enforcement

The Employment Services Act 4 of 2014 requires all recruitment companies — whether placing permanent staff as a Private Employment Agency or providing temporary staff as a Temporary Employment Service — to register with the Department of Employment and Labour. The Department has publicly flagged this as an ongoing compliance gap, describing the recruitment industry as 'not yet fully regulated' while registration and enforcement work continues, and it maintains a public national and provincial register of agencies that have registered under section 13 of the Act.

Registration is made online through the eServices portal (www.eservices.gov.za), with the registrar required to issue a registration certificate within 60 days of a compliant application. Confirm the current renewal cycle and any fee directly with the Department, since departmental material on this point should be treated as needing case-by-case verification.

Frequently asked

Will the SETAs change again before 2030?

The current re-establishment notice runs to 31 March 2030. Confirm with the Department of Higher Education and Training whether any specific SETA's scope or name has since changed, since amendments to individual SETA jurisdictions can be gazetted within the overall landscape period.

Is a TES the same registration as a Private Employment Agency?

They are related but distinct categories under the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014 — an agency providing temporary or outsourced labour registers as a TES, while one placing candidates into permanent roles registers as a PEA; an agency doing both may need both registrations.

Does QCTO accreditation transfer automatically when a qualification moves onto the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework?

No — an SDP should check QCTO's current guidance for the specific qualification, since accreditation and delivery readiness requirements are set per qualification and are subject to change as QCTO's guide itself notes.

Sources

TefCo Corporate Compliance (Pty) Ltd is a compliance management platform, not a legal, tax or advisory firm. This guide is general information, not advice. Fees, dates and thresholds change — confirm current figures with the regulator before you rely on them.