By Charmaine Ndlela

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced plans to reform and reduce the number of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to improve governance and strengthen South Africa’s skills development system.

Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the reforms are aimed at strengthening industry participation, improving training quality and better aligning skills development with the needs of the economy.

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He said government will enhance the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges as primary sites for occupational training and artisan development.

“To support effective workplace-based learning, we will increase the proportion of the skills development levy returned to employers, restoring it to its original level of 40%,” he said.

Ramaphosa also announced that the National Skills Fund will be transformed into a more agile, outcomes-driven instrument focused on helping unemployed youth gain workplace experience and access employment opportunities. He said this would build on initiatives such as Jobs Boost.

“These reforms will ensure that the various training programmes we have in government are a door to opportunity, not a dead end,” he said.

Addressing the growing number of matriculants entering the post-school system, Ramaphosa said government will expand access to higher education.

“To absorb the increasing number of young people passing matric, we will expand opportunities for young people to enter institutions of higher learning,” he said.

He has directed the ministers of Finance and Higher Education to develop proposals for building more universities and TVET colleges focused on specialised areas of study.

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Ramaphosa also identified the shortage of student accommodation as an urgent challenge.

“An immediate problem is the great shortage of student accommodation at our institutions of learning. I have directed the minister of higher education to address this challenge, working together with financial institutions on innovative methods through which government can provide student accommodation,” he said.

Reaffirming the broader reform agenda, Ramaphosa said reducing the number of SETAs would strengthen the overall system.

“We will reform and reduce the number of sector education and training authorities to improve governance, strengthen industry participation, raise the quality of training and better align skills development with the needs of the economy,” he said.

He concluded by emphasising that national development depends on strong communities that care for their children.

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