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Matric results in a newspaper.
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is warning matriculants to be cautious of unregistered institutions offering fake study opportunities.
SAQA says students should verify institutions before paying fees.
The warning comes as the Basic Education Department prepares to officially announce the 2025 matric results on Tuesday next week.
Before you register, verify! Not all colleges are registered. Protect your future by choosing accredited institutions. The easiest way to check whether an institution is appropriately registered is to get the name of the institution, then contact the DHET Call Centre on 0800 87… pic.twitter.com/UGQMZuJVZw
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) January 7, 2026
SAQA’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Makhapa Makhafola, says most of these bogus institutions do not have a physical address.
“The numbers of those who wrote matric vs space available in higher education don’t match, and as a result, we have all these people just waiting to pounce on vulnerable students. The most common red flags, you have people promising jobs after graduation, and that’s not true, most of them with issues around their websites tend to advertise that they’re offering two degrees and some of them, especially the online scams there’s lack of physical address. People need to check whether these institutions have a physical address; you need to double-check with the department whether it exists.”
PODCAST | Matriculants cautioned against unregistered institutions:
