SACAP

What SACAP does

SACAP (the South African College of Applied Psychology) is a privately held, internationally accredited tertiary education institution founded in 1997 and headquartered in Claremont, Cape Town. It delivers accredited higher-education qualifications across three faculties — Applied Psychology, Management & Leadership, and Social Work & Community Development — spanning Higher Certificates (NQF 5) through Master's degrees (NQF 9), with programmes built around a distinctive applied blend of rigorous academic theory, applied skills, and experiential Work Integrated Learning.

The institution serves primarily individual consumers (prospective and current students) on a direct-to-consumer basis, supplemented by inside-sales outreach through its admissions office (phone number 086 077 1111) and digital enquiry capture. Delivery occurs across four purpose-built physical campuses in Cape Town, Johannesburg (Sandton), Pretoria, and Durban, plus a fully online SACAP Online Campus. A separate wholly-owned platform, SACAP Global, extends internationally via bite-size micro-credentials (6-8 weeks), short courses (20-50 hours), and CPD workshops. Revenue is generated predominantly through recurring tuition fees for accredited qualifications, with supplementary income from non-refundable application fees, short-course enrolments, and CPD workshops. Student financing is facilitated through partnerships with Student Hero, Capitec Education Finance (loans up to R500,000), and Nedbank (loans up to R400,000). The student cohort is reported as 3,000-strong and growing, taught by a workforce of 101-250 employees and supported by a 250+ site Work Integrated Learning placement network.

The product surface is differentiated structurally rather than technically: stacked regulatory and professional-body accreditations (CHE/SAQA, BAC, HPCSA, SACSSP, ICF, COMENSA, ASCHP, DHET) gate professional registration pathways for graduates, and 200-720 hours of compulsory WIL create reliance on a long-built placement network. Strategic initiatives beyond the core degree business include the 2026 launch of a Bachelor of Social Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology into the corporate-wellness buyer segment, and the SACAP Foundation non-profit arm addressing community and adolescent mental health gaps in partnership with the Groote Schuur Hospital Adolescent Centre of Excellence.

Name

SACAP

Legal name

South African College of Applied Psychology

Website

https://sacap.edu.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SACAP is a South African private higher education institution, founded 1997, offering CHE-accredited qualifications from Higher Certificates to Master's degrees across Applied Psychology, Management & Leadership, and Social Work faculties via four campuses and an online platform, serving approximately 3,000 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Claremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Degree and Diploma Tuition: Full-time and part-time tuition fees for accredited qualifications ranging from Higher Certificates to Master's degrees. Revenue generated from student fees for classroom and online programmes.
2. Short Courses and Workshops: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops and short learning programmes offered through SACAP Global platform. Revenue from micro-credentials and short course enrolments.
3. Application Fees: Non-refundable application fees charged on submission. An application fee is charged on application and is non-refundable whether the application is successful or unsuccessful.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SACAP (South African College of Applied Psychology) is a private higher education institution offering CHE-accredited qualifications ranging from Higher Certificates to Master's degrees, with applied psychology as its core discipline. Programmes span counselling, business management, human resource management, social work, and professional coaching, delivered through four South African campuses (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban) and a flexible online campus. Many qualifications provide pathways to professional registration with bodies such as HPCSA, SACSSP, and ICF.

Product overview

SACAP (The South African College of Applied Psychology) is a private higher education institution offering a portfolio of accredited qualifications ranging from Higher Certificates and Diplomas to Undergraduate Degrees and Postgraduate Programmes. The institution operates across two delivery modes: campus-based learning at four physical locations (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban) and online study through its Online Campus. The academic portfolio centres on Applied Psychology as a core discipline, complemented by specialised programmes in Counselling, Business Management, Human Resource Management, Social Work, and Coaching. Key programme categories include vocational certificates (Higher Certificates in Counselling, Business Management, and Human Resource Management), professional diplomas (Diploma in Counselling and Communication Skills), undergraduate degrees (Bachelor of Applied Social Science with psychology majors in Criminology, Counselling, HRM, and Business Management; Bachelor of Social Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology; Bachelor of Psychology; Bachelor of Social Work), honours degrees, and master's programmes. Professional coaching qualifications include the Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching, Coach Practitioner Programme, and Advanced Coach Practitioner Programme. The institution also offers short programmes through SACAP Global including micro-credentials and CPD workshops. All qualifications are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), registered on the NQF by SAQA, and many lead to professional registration with bodies such as HPCSA and SACSSP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SACAP Foundation: Non-profit foundation focused on addressing inadequate provision of mental health care services in South Africa through initiatives like The Counselling Hub and The Youth Hub.
• SACAP Global

Products and services

• Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Majoring in Psychology and Criminology) Three-year full-time (campus) or five-year part-time (online) undergraduate degree combining psychology and criminology disciplines, preparing students for careers in criminal justice, social policy, and community intervention.
• Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Majoring in Psychology and Counselling) Three-year full-time or five-year part-time degree combining psychology and counselling streams, preparing students for applied counselling roles in various settings.
• Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Majoring in Psychology and Human Resource Management) Three-year full-time or five-year part-time online degree combining psychology with human resource management principles for careers in organisational development and employee wellness.
• Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Majoring in Psychology and Business Management) Undergraduate degree integrating psychology and business management studies, preparing graduates for leadership roles that require understanding of human behaviour in organisational contexts.
• Bachelor of Social Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology Three-year full-time or five-year part-time CHE-accredited professional degree leading to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Equips graduates to optimise workplace environments for well-being and engagement while supporting organisational performance through evidence-based psychological insights.
• Bachelor of Psychology Four-year professional degree (NQF 8) leading to professional registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Registered Counsellor, including a 720-hour practicum.
• Bachelor of Social Work Four-year full-time professional degree registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions, leading to professional registration as a Social Worker.
• Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Psychology One-year full-time (campus) or four academic terms part-time (online) honours degree (NQF 8) accredited by CHE, also known as the BPsych Equivalent Programme approved by HPCSA for Registered Counsellor registration.
• Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills One-year full-time or two-year part-time vocational certificate (NQF 5) providing foundational counselling and communication skills training.
• Higher Certificate in Business Management One-year full-time or five academic terms part-time vocational certificate (NQF 5) providing foundational business management knowledge and skills.
• Higher Certificate in Human Resource Management One-year full-time or five academic terms part-time vocational certificate (NQF 5) providing foundational human resource management training.
• Diploma in Counselling and Communication Skills Two-year full-time or three-year part-time diploma (NQF 6) professionally endorsed by ASCHP, including 200 hours of Work Integrated Learning with supervision.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching Two-year part-time postgraduate diploma (NQF 8) ICF accredited and COMENSA GOLD Training Provider Programme aligned, designed for working professionals through evening and intensive block sessions.
• Coach Practitioner Programme Five-month programme plus mentor coaching, designed for working professionals seeking coaching skills and accreditation alignment with ICF and COMENSA competencies.
• Advanced Coach Practitioner Programme Six-month advanced coaching programme for experienced practitioners seeking to deepen coaching competencies and professional standing.
• Master of Social Science in Community Mental Health Promotion Two-year part-time online master's degree (NQF 9) aligned with the National Skills Development Strategy and National Development Plan, training leaders to address community mental health challenges.
• Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching Twelve-month full-time postgraduate certificate (NQF 7) DHET accredited for those seeking to teach in senior phase and further education and training contexts.
• SACAP Global - Micro-credentials and Short Courses Global platform offering micro-credentials (6-8 weeks) and short courses (20-50 hours) providing bite-size components of accredited qualifications for professional development.
• CPD Workshops Continuing Professional Development workshops for industry professionals to develop and enhance abilities in psychology, counselling, and coaching practice areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3000+ students enrolled across campuses and online programmes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered support and core.

• DigsConnectsupportOthersOfficial Student Accommodation Partner. DigsConnect provides a variety of accommodation options for students near SACAP campuses.
• Student HerocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSouth Africa's largest student finance facilitation service. Helps students learn about, apply and qualify for study finance from major South African providers through a single platform at zero cost to students.
• Groote Schuur Hospital Adolescent Centre of Excellence (ACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for The Youth Hub initiative - a SACAP Foundation project providing adolescent mental health support and development programmes.
• SACAP FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit arm of SACAP addressing inadequate provision of mental health care services in South Africa through The Counselling Hub and The Youth Hub projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Inscape Education Group: South African private higher education institution offering accredited design, commerce and communication qualifications. Comparable private-accredited model and direct-to-consumer student recruitment motion overlapping with SACAP's market.
• Independent Institute of Education (IIE): Largest private higher education group in South Africa operating multiple brands across applied and vocational disciplines. Closest direct competitor to SACAP in the private tertiary space and competes for the same prospective students in psychology, commerce and management.
• Cornerstone Institute: South African private higher education institution focused on applied psychology, counselling and social sciences. Highly comparable mission, accreditation footprint, and target student demographic to SACAP.
• Monash South Africa (IIE MSA): South African campus of an international university offering commerce, social science and IT qualifications. Comparable private higher-ed model in South Africa with overlapping psychology and business programmes.
• Boston City Campus: Large South African private higher education brand with multiple campuses offering psychology, commerce and management qualifications. Directly comparable accredited programme portfolio and target student segment.

Broad incumbents

• University of South Africa (UNISA): Largest open-distance learning university in Africa, offering accredited psychology and social work degrees at lower price points. Competes with SACAP Online on price and reach within the same student demographic.
• University of Cape Town (Psychology Department): Premier public South African university offering accredited psychology degrees. Competes for top-tier students who might otherwise consider SACAP's applied psychology programmes.
• Stellenbosch University (Department of Psychology): Public research university with strong psychology and counselling programmes. Overlaps with SACAP's postgraduate and Honours offerings in the Western Cape market.

Emerging players

• ADLER University: International (Canadian/US-rooted) graduate school specialised in psychology, counselling and organisational studies. Comparable niche applied-psychology focus and online delivery model relevant to SACAP Global's international ambitions.

Regional players

• Nelson Mandela University (Psychology & Social Work): Public South African university with social work and psychology programmes including WIL components. Comparable academic offering and professional-registration pathways, primarily competing in the Eastern Cape catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sacapedu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheSACAP
• Facebookfacebook.com/sacapedu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/sacap
• Instagraminstagram.com/sacapedu
• TikToktiktok.com/@sacapedu?lang=en

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SACAP