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By Thapelo Molefe
In a bid to address the ongoing challenges faced by students seeking placement in Post-School Education and Training (PSET) institutions, Deputy Minister Buti Manamela has officially launched the Central Application Clearing House (CACH) service for 2025.
This announcement comes after South African universities reported record breaking application numbers for 2025, saying they were 30 times higher than they could accommodate.
This critical service aims to assist students who are unable to secure a place at higher education institutions, as well as those who missed the previous year’s application cycle or have qualified based on their recent Grade 12 results.
The CACH service, operational from 20 January, is set to play a pivotal role in ensuring that qualifying students find suitable placements in public and private institutions.
Manamela said applicants who previously applied through the Central Application System (CAS) but did not receive offers, would have their information automatically uploaded to the CACH system.
Students who did not apply through CAS could manually register on the CACH website between until 31 March.
Starting 27 January 2025, universities and colleges will use the CACH database to match available spaces with qualifying students. Both public and private institutions will extend offers to prospective candidates, with private institutions expected to compete actively for students.
“CACH does not select students or guarantee placement,” Manamela clarified in a statement.
“It is the responsibility of institutions to identify and make offers to qualifying students. We encourage all applicants to act promptly on the opportunities extended to them.”
Students will have a maximum of two days to accept or decline offers, with each applicant eligible to receive up to three offers. Failure to respond within the stipulated time will result in removal from the CACH system, and re-registration will not be permitted.
While TVET colleges will have completed their first trimester registration by this time, they will consider CACH applicants for subsequent academic terms, including Trimester 2, Trimester 3, and Semester 2 for the 2025 academic year.
South Africa’s higher education sector has long faced significant space constraints, with demand for tertiary education far outpacing availability.
SA universities are experiencing a dramatic increase in applications for the 2025, with media reporting that 337,158 matriculants secured university admission, but there were only 202,000 places.
At the University of Johannesburg (UJ), 693,990 students applied for just 10,900 undergraduate spaces, creating a demand that was 33 times higher than the supply.
The Registrar at UJ, Professor Bettine van Vuuren, warned prospective students to remain vigilant against scammers claiming to provide help with placements or registration.
“In previous years, UJ has noted with concern the activities of certain individuals and agencies promising guaranteed admission and funding. The university does not collaborate with any third-party entities for the processing of applications,” Van Vuuren said.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) faced a similar challenge, receiving over 290,600 applications for only 8600 first-year spots.
Stellenbosch University also reported an overwhelming response, with 90,027 applicants competing for 6005 spaces, 15 times more applications than they could accommodate.
This overwhelming demand underscores the critical role of the CACH service in assisting students who have not secured placements through the standard application process.
CACH aims to alleviate some of these pressures by providing an efficient matching system and increasing the accessibility of private institutions. However, structural challenges, including inadequate infrastructure and funding constraints, remain pressing issues for the sector.
For those seeking to improve their academic results, Community Education and Training colleges offer a Second Chance Programme.
The department will also conduct a satisfaction survey from 1 April to 30 April 2025 to gather insights from students on their CACH experience, aiming to enhance the service in future cycles.
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