The National Qualifications Amendment Bill that has been passed in 2019 came into into force on 12 October 2023.
In a nutshell, this means that candidates who misrepresent their qualifications are seen as CV fraud and candidates can be fined or get up to five year’s jail time. This bill aims to ensure that people are adequately qualified for the positions they apply for.
Understanding the Bill
The amendment that came into effect includes:
- provides for the referral of fraudulent qualifications to a relevant professional body
- introduces offences for qualification fraud, and
- empowers the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to:
- formulate criteria for evaluating foreign qualifications
- evaluate foreign qualifications, and to
- establish and maintain registers for:
- professional designations, and
- misrepresented and fraudulent qualifications.
Provisions not yet in effect are:
- the substitute definition of ‘skills development provider’
- registration and accreditation requirements affecting ‘every private education institution or skills development provider offering education and training programmes or any component thereof towards a qualification or part-qualification’, and
- a requirement that every qualification or part-qualification should be evaluated and verified by the SAQA before being introduced and operationalised.
What Constitutes Official Qualifications?
Higher education institutions must be registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and have the appropriate accreditation to provide said qualifications. The institutions are liable to face prosecution if they are not sufficiently accredited.
For the qualification to be official, it must be:
- An authentic qualification that is registered on the NQF managed by SAQA
- The education provider must be accredited
- Lawfully awarded to the individual
The Department of Higher Education has recently updated the list of accredited higher education institutions.
The National Qualifications Amendment Bill represents a significant step in combatting CV fraud and ensuring the integrity of qualifications in South Africa. By imposing stricter penalties and enhancing oversight mechanisms, the bill aims to safeguard the credibility of qualifications and promote transparency in the hiring process. As individuals and institutions navigate these regulations, adherence to official qualification standards becomes paramount for maintaining trust and accountability in the workforce.
Click here to read the full bill.
RecruitAGraduate offers qualification verification checks as part of our services - simply request it when engaging with your recruiter.