Council on Higher Education
The Council on Higher Education is a South African statutory body that serves as the national authority for higher education quality assurance, accreditation, institutional audits, and qualification standards across the country's 23 public universities and registered private HEIs, funded through government appropriations under DHET.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Council on Higher Education does
The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is an independent statutory body of the South African government, established under the Higher Education Act No. 101 of 1997 and designated as the Quality Council for Higher Education under the National Qualifications Framework Act No. 67 of 2008. It operates from Pretoria and is the sole national authority responsible for quality assurance, programme accreditation, institutional audits, and qualification standards across South Africa's higher education sector. CHE discharges these functions through its permanent committee, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), and through dedicated online platforms — HEQCIS, HEQSF-Online, the National Reviews Online System, and the Nominations Portal — which collectively manage accreditation workflows, the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework, and national standards reviews.
CHE's core product set spans regulatory services (programme accreditation, institutional audits), technology platforms (HEQCIS, HEQSF-Online, National Reviews Online System), and an extensive publications portfolio (Higher Education Monitor series, VitalStats annual statistics, BrieflySpeaking briefs, criteria and frameworks documents). It also operates the Quality Enhancement Project (QEP), a national institutional improvement programme launched in 2014, and maintains guidance resources on remote teaching and learning. Customers are segmented horizontally: the primary constituencies are South Africa's 23 public universities, registered private higher education institutions, TVET colleges, and broader higher education stakeholders including policymakers and researchers.
The business model is non-commercial. CHE does not earn per-institution fees or product revenue; it is funded through government appropriations under the Department of Higher Education and Training, with the Minister appointing Council members. Strategic direction is set by an appointed Council and executed under CEO Prof Narend Baijnath (appointed August 2015). Distribution of services is direct and mandated by statute, supplemented by partnerships with quality councils (SAQA, QCTO, Umalusi), DHET, USAF, HELTASA, and discipline-specific regulators such as the South African Pharmacy Council under a formal collaboration signed 26 January 2026.
Council on Higher Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Council on Higher Education
- Legal name
- Council on Higher Education
- Website
- https://che.ac.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Council on Higher Education is a South African statutory body that serves as the national authority for higher education quality assurance, accreditation, institutional audits, and qualification standards across the country's 23 public universities and registered private HEIs, funded through government appropriations under DHET.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Council on Higher Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Quality Assurance
- NAICS
- Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions (EDADAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Higher Education Academic Standards & Degree Framework Authorities (EDADAEAG), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)
Keywords
Where Council on Higher Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pretoria
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Council on Higher Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Council on Higher Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is South Africa's statutory Quality Council for Higher Education, providing independent quality assurance, programme accreditation, and institutional audits across public and private higher education institutions. It develops and manages the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) and delivers its services through proprietary online platforms (HEQCIS, HEQSF Online, National Reviews Online System). The organisation also produces a substantial body of research, monitoring, and policy publications covering higher education trends, funding, access, and transformation.
Product overview
The Council on Higher Education (CHE) operates as a platform of interconnected quality assurance systems and services for South African higher education. The core infrastructure consists of HEQCIS (Higher Education Quality Committee Information System), HEQSF Online, and the National Reviews Online System, which together enable programme accreditation, institutional audits, and qualifications management. The Quality Enhancement Project (QEP) complements these systems by driving continuous improvement at institutional level. The CHE also produces research publications including the VitalStats series and policy advice documents, alongside providing guidance on remote teaching and learning. The organisation functions through its Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) as a permanent quality assurance body.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HEQCIS (Higher Education Quality Committee Information System)
Companies that use Council on Higher Education
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Council on Higher Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Council on Higher Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC)coreFormal collaboration to strengthen quality assurance in pharmacy education and training. Joint media statement formalizing cooperation between the two regulatory bodies.
- South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)corePartner organization for the National Qualifications Framework. Listed as partner on CHE website footer alongside other quality councils and government departments.
- Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO)coreQuality Council partner for occupational qualifications. Listed as partner on CHE website footer.
- UmalusicoreQuality council for general and further education. Listed as partner on CHE website footer. Also collaborated in joint media statement addressing areas of common interest.
- Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)coreGovernment department responsible for higher education policy. CHE operates under DHET's mandate and collaborates on post-school education and training.
- Universities South Africa (USAF)coreRepresentative body for South African public universities. Listed as partner on CHE website footer.
- Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA)corePartnership for joint National Excellence in Teaching Awards recognizing outstanding teaching achievements in higher education.
- Council on Higher Education Lesotho (CHE Lesotho)minorRegional partnership supporting quality assurance development in Lesotho higher education institutions. CHE issued RFP for development of institutional audit framework.
- South African National Resource Centre (SANRC)minorPartner organization listed on CHE website footer.
- South African University Teachers (SAUT)minorPartner organization listed on CHE website footer.
- Department of Basic Education (DBE)coreGovernment department for basic education. Listed as partner on CHE website footer.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Council on Higher Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of Netherlands and Flanders): Independent accreditation body for higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders, established by law. Direct functional analogue to CHE in operating a national accreditation regime for HEIs, with comparable institutional audit and programme review processes.
Others
- South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA): Statutory body overseeing the National Qualifications Framework in South Africa, of which CHE is a constituent Quality Council. Partner/ecosystem organization rather than direct competitor; comparable in NQF governance role and in serving overlapping higher education stakeholders.
Broad incumbents
- ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education): European umbrella body for HE quality assurance agencies, setting standards (ESG) and convening the EQAR registry. Comparable to CHE as the coordinating authority on quality assurance standards, though operating at supranational scope rather than as a national regulator.
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC): US regional accreditor recognized by the Department of Education covering institutional accreditation across multiple US states. Comparable to CHE in delivering institutional accreditation and quality reviews, though operating at regional rather than national scale with a different governance model.
- TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency): Australia's national higher education regulator responsible for registration, accreditation, and quality standards. Direct functional analogue to CHE — independent statutory authority overseeing quality and standards across public and private HEIs in a defined national jurisdiction.
- QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education): The UK's statutory higher education quality assurance body, designated to safeguard academic standards and quality. Highly comparable to CHE in mandate (programme accreditation, institutional review, qualifications framework oversight), operating under similar statutory authority for a national higher education system.
Direct peers
- HKCAAVQ (Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications): Statutory body responsible for accreditation of academic and vocational qualifications in Hong Kong, operating under the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance. Closely analogous to CHE in role as Quality Council within a qualifications framework, with parallel functions in programme accreditation and qualifications registration.
- Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO): South Africa's Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, third NQF Quality Council alongside CHE and Umalusi. Peer in statutory mandate (occupational qualifications) and parallel structure under the NQF Act, jointly regulating the post-school education landscape.
- Umalusi: South Africa's Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, a sister Quality Council under the NQF alongside CHE. Direct institutional peer operating the equivalent accreditation and standards function for the General and Further Education band, with overlapping governance and statutory framework.
Regional players
- CHE Lesotho (Council on Higher Education Lesotho): Lesotho's statutory higher education regulator, for which CHE provides capacity-building and framework development (e.g., institutional audit framework RFP). Direct peer in mandate and namesake; comparable role at smaller national scale with explicit CHE relationship.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Council on Higher Education social profiles
Digital presenceCouncil on Higher Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Council on Higher Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Council on Higher Education subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Council on Higher Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Council on Higher Education M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Council on Higher Education
What does Council on Higher Education do?
The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is South Africa's statutory Quality Council for Higher Education, providing independent quality assurance, programme accreditation, and institutional audits across public and private higher education institutions. It develops and manages the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) and delivers its services through proprietary online platforms (HEQCIS, HEQSF Online, National Reviews Online System). The organisation also produces a substantial body of research, monitoring, and policy publications covering higher education trends, funding, access, and transformation.
Is Council on Higher Education a public or private company?
Council on Higher Education is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Council on Higher Education founded?
Council on Higher Education was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Council on Higher Education based?
Council on Higher Education is headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, in the Africa region.
Who are Council on Higher Education's main competitors?
NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of Netherlands and Flanders) is listed as an emerging player. South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) and QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education). Direct peers are HKCAAVQ (Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications), Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and Umalusi. CHE Lesotho (Council on Higher Education Lesotho) is listed as a regional player.
Does Council on Higher Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for Council on Higher Education.
What industry is Council on Higher Education in?
Council on Higher Education's product category is Higher Education Quality Assurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAAAG, Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions, with a secondary code of EDADAEAG, Higher Education Academic Standards & Degree Framework Authorities. Its NAICS code is 92615 and its SIC code is 8200.