By SA Business Lens
23 October 2026

Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim wants SETAs to report clearly on whether training leads to jobs, businesses or further study — and where those pathways fail.

South Africa’s Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) should show what happens to learners after training, including whether they find jobs, start businesses or continue studying, Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim has urged.

Speaking at a CATHSSETA stakeholder session in Cape Town on 22 October, Cassim called for closer links between training and employers’ needs. He wants the authority to give a clear annual account of learners’ outcomes. SAnews report

The address was a call for stronger accountability. It did not announce a new binding employment target or guarantee a job to everyone completing a programme. DHET speech

Why employers have a stake

CATHSSETA is the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority. Its work includes funding learning programmes and monitoring education and training across its sectors. CATHSSETA

The wider skills system draws on employer contributions through the Skills Development Levy. SARS says liable employers pay 1% of their leviable payroll. Employers whose leviable remuneration will not exceed R500,000 over the following 12 months are exempt, alongside other specified categories. SARS guidance

That gives the debate a practical business dimension: employers contribute resources, while learners invest time in qualifications they hope will improve their prospects.

Cassim urged CATHSSETA to expand quality workplace placements through stronger industry partnerships. He also called for workable ways for small businesses to participate, with support and safeguards rather than unnecessary administrative obstacles. DHET speech

Questions beyond the certificate

For learners considering a programme, the useful questions are specific: Is workplace experience included? Who arranges the placement? What supervision is provided? What happened to previous participants, and how recently were they surveyed?

Employers considering hosting learners can ask who handles administration, what mentoring is expected and which costs the programme covers. Small firms should check the relevant funding and participation terms rather than assume that paying, or being exempt from, the levy determines eligibility for every opportunity.

Employment claims also need context. A provider reporting successful placements should explain how many people were contacted, how many replied and whether the work was permanent, temporary or casual. A placement during training and a sustained job afterwards answer different questions.

Cassim acknowledged that training alone cannot resolve unemployment. For businesses and learners, the test of improved reporting will be whether it makes the route from a particular programme into work clearer, including where that route breaks down. DHET speech

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