South Africa (SA) has hosted a delegation from Uganda’s Vocational and Technical Assessment Board for bilateral discussions focused on strengthening qualification systems, technical and vocational education (TVET), and skills development.

The engagement centered on creating clearer pathways between vocational training, higher education, and the job market, addressing a critical continental challenge of equipping young people with transferable, market-aligned skills to combat youth unemployment.

Speaking on the partnership, Japie Nel, Senior Manager for Registration and Recognition at the SA Qualifications Authority (SAQA), explained that Uganda’s recently established vocational board sought to benchmark against SA’s National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to improve how vocational diplomas articulate into university degrees.

A major focus of the discussions was addressing societal perceptions surrounding TVET.

Nel noted that a key priority for both nations is reshaping public perception so that vocational diplomas are recognised as valuable, career-enabling qualifications rather than inferior alternatives to traditional university degrees.

The delegations also deliberated on improving Recognition of Prior Learning to translate informal workplace experience into formal academic credits, highlighting Uganda’s early-stage career mapping in schools as a potential model for South Africa.

Beyond bilateral ties, SAQA continues to work alongside continental bodies under the African Continental Qualifications Framework to promote Global South educational models, ensure international comparability of qualifications, and facilitate regional labor mobility.

–ChannelAfrica–