First-year student placements limited but higher education minister says it's all systems go for 2026

The higher education and training sector is set to welcome another cohort of students across South Africa for the 2026 academic year, with limited space in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela says not all students who get a bachelor’s pass are guaranteed a space in institutions, and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) faces financial risk due to an increasing number of students who qualify for post-school education.

In 2025, Daily Maverick reported that a total of 705,291 learners wrote the National Senior Certificate exams (NSC) in 2024. Nearly half of those learners received a bachelor’s pass, with 47.8% of matric candidates qualifying for admission to bachelor’s degree studies. However, not all of them received a space at a university. 

Read more: SA matrics shine with the highest national pass rate yet of 87.3%

“For 2026, we project about 235,000 first-year university spaces. At TVET colleges, we project about 170,000 first-year spaces. And at community colleges, about 130,000 first-year spaces. That is a large number, but it cannot absorb every qualified learner,” said Manamela during his briefing regarding the state of readiness for the 2026 academic year at Ronnie Mamoepa Media Centre in Pretoria on Monday, 15 September 2025.

The briefing comes at a time when high school learners are writing the preparatory or trial examinations, with some applying for NSFAS and hoping to get into tertiary education. 

Speaking about a plan for students who are locked out, Manamela said: “We can only guarantee that the system will absorb half of those. Between now and the next two to three months we’re going to be looking for solutions for the rest of the young people. Yes, some of them will look for jobs, and some of them will take a joyride and take a gap year, but we have to plan for those people,” said Manamela.

NSFAS funding pressure

NSFAS has been embattled with protests and chaos almost every year, and is currently facing financial risks. NSFAS is funding close to 900,000 students in 2025 and has been struggling with a shortfall of more than R10-billion. 

Read more: Students out in the cold as NSFAS faces R10.6bn budget shortfall for universities.

Manamela said that NSFAS had received a boost of R13.3-billion to help 34,000 students with blocked registrations and an additional 15,000 students for the semester. 

“The scheme is still at financial risk due to an increasing number of students qualifying for post-school education and training funding, the escalating cost of living, which has expanded the eligibility criteria, and declining state resources in real terms,” said Manamela. 

Outstanding amounts

Some student accommodation providers have also complained that NSFAS is behind on payments.

Daily Maverick spoke to Maphefo Molatlhwa, a landlord housing 27 students from Sol Plaatje University, who said that NSFAS owed her more than R1-million from 2024 to 2025. 

“Our minister is our last hope. We’ve been talking to the NSFAS CEO (Waseem Carrim) since the beginning of the year. From January, he’s always saying that we’ll pay you today. We are hiding our cars from the banks because they want to take them. Our children cannot even afford to buy food. The students in May wrote exams without electricity, without water and without Wi-Fi,” said Molatlhwa.

Speaking at the briefing, Carrim confirmed that students at Sol Plaatje were affected by funding issues. 

“We have been taking steps to resolve that challenge… Sol Plaatje is but one institution that was affected. Collectively, the matter affected close to 54,000 students, but Sol Plaatje was more pronounced in that more than 1,000 students were affected at that institution,” said Carrim.

Stabilising Setas

The Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) have been under a cloud after former higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane tried to make controversial appointments of ANC members as board chairpersons, and now Manamela has placed three Setas under administration while appointing individuals linked to corruption as administrators. 

Read more: Minister Buti Manamela faces backlash over controversial Seta appointments amid corruption allegations.

Manamela said that by the end of this week, “All Setas will have fully constituted accounting authorities in place, and the process for the appointment of chairpersons will be at an advanced stage of finalisation. This is part of a broader stabilisation effort, ensuring that Setas can perform their critical mandate without governance paralysis.”

Manamela is also expected to appear at the Portfolio on Higher Education and Training on Friday, 19 September, to account for the procedure followed on placing the Setas under administration and answer questions around the individuals appointed, who are being investigated by the Public Service Commission. 

On 16 September 2025, NSFAS is set to demonstrate a live activation of the 2026 application season, while applications will close on 15 November 2025. DM