How to Verify South African University Degrees: CHE and SAQA Guide

South Africa's higher education system

South Africa's higher education is regulated by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), with qualifications registered on the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF). South Africa has 26 public universities, including University of Cape Town (UCT) (ranked in the global top 200), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and Stellenbosch University.

Verification steps

1. Check CHE accreditation — Verify the institution is CHE-accredited. VerifyED includes accredited South African institutions.
2. SAQA verification — SAQA can verify qualifications on the NQF and evaluate foreign credentials.
3. Contact the institution — South African universities maintain registrar offices for verification.
4. Apostille — South Africa is a Hague Convention member. Documents can be apostilled.

Key considerations

• UCT — Consistently Africa's highest-ranked university, in the global top 200.
• NQF levels — South Africa's 10-level NQF provides clear qualification comparability.
• English-language credentials — Most higher education credentials are issued in English.