What Higher Education Authority (hea) does

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is a statutory regulatory body of the Government of Zambia, established under the Higher Education Act No. 4 of 2013 and headquartered in Lusaka. Its mandate is to register private higher education institutions (HEIs), accredit learning programmes, and coordinate, regulate, supervise and monitor standards across the Zambian higher education sector. The Authority's mandate was materially expanded by the Higher Education (Amendment) Act No. 23 of 2021 to cover public HEIs via statutory orders, and operationalised through the Higher Education (General) Regulations of 2024 which introduced mandatory annual institutional audits for all HEIs.

HEA's core technology stack consists of three digital platforms: the Quality Assurance Management Information System (QAMIS) for managing institutional quality assurance processes, the Higher Education Authority Information Management System (HEAIMS) which serves as a national registry for HEIs and accredited programmes, and the National Graduate Survey platform for tracking graduate outcomes. These platforms support both regulatory workflows (registration, accreditation, audit submissions) and public information access through a public-facing statistics dashboard. HEA also publishes annual State of Higher Education reports dating back to 2019.

HEA's revenue model combines government allocation with regulatory service fees charged to HEIs. The 2024 fee schedule establishes tiered annual institutional audit fees ranging from K20,000 ZMW (local colleges) to K60,000 ZMW (foreign-owned universities/technical universities), with intermediate tiers for university colleges, institutes, and specialised training institutions. Customer segments include both public and private HEIs (primary), the Ministry of Education for policy advisory (secondary), and allied regulators such as the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) and Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA) for joint regulatory oversight. Distribution is direct from HEA's Lusaka headquarters and via the online eServices portals; there is no field sales force or geographic expansion beyond Zambia.

Name

Higher Education Authority (hea)

Legal name

Higher Education Authority

Website

https://hea.org.zm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is the statutory regulator of Zambia's higher education sector, registering institutions, accrediting learning programmes, and conducting mandatory annual institutional audits across all public and private HEIs. It operates the QAMIS, HEAIMS, and National Graduate Survey digital platforms from its Lusaka headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Regulatory Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110), Administration of Education Programs (92311), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online & Distance Education Quality Assurance Reviews (EDADAGAM), National/State Curriculum & Standards Authorities (EDADAEAA), Digital Assessment Platforms & Computer-Based Testing Authorities (EDADAFAK), Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research (EDADADAI)

Keywords

• Higher education regulation
• Quality assurance services
• Institutional accreditation
• Programme accreditation
• Education policy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HEA is a statutory regulatory authority that registers private higher education institutions in Zambia, accredits their learning programmes against established quality standards, and conducts mandatory annual institutional audits of both private and public HEIs under the Higher Education Act No. 4 of 2013 and its 2021 Amendment. It also serves as the principal policy advisor to the Minister of Education on higher education matters and operates the QAMIS, HEAIMS registry, and National Graduate Survey platforms to support quality assurance delivery.

Product overview

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is a statutory regulatory body established under the Higher Education Act No. 4 of 2013. Its product portfolio consists primarily of regulatory services and digital platforms rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Quality Assurance Management Information System (QAMIS) for institutional quality assurance, the National Graduate Survey platform for tracking graduate outcomes, and the HEAIMS registry system containing databases of accredited learning programmes and registered higher education institutions. These are complemented by regulatory services including HEI registration, learning programme accreditation, annual institutional audits, and advisory services to government. HEA also publishes annual reports on the state of higher education in Zambia through its State of Higher Education publication series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HEI Registration Services Registration services for private higher education institutions in Zambia, including application processing, institutional audits, physical inspection of premises, and certificate of registration issuance per campus under the Higher Education Act No. 4 of 2013.
• Learning Programme Accreditation Services
• Annual Institutional Audit Services Mandatory annual institutional audits conducted on all registered and declared HEIs (public and private) under Section 22A of the Higher Education (Amendment) Act, on payment of prescribed audit fees.
• Advisory Services to the Minister of Education
• Quality Assurance Management Information System (QAMIS)
• National Graduate Survey Platform
• Accredited Learning Programmes Database
• Higher Education Institutions Registry
• HEA Registry Statistics Dashboard
• The State of Higher Education in Zambia (Annual Publication Series)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and moderate.

• Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN)coreTechnology or IntegrationZAMREN is a dedicated national research and education network providing affordable high-speed internet and related digital services to education and research institutions across Zambia. They presented at the 2026 Winter School on digitalizing HEI operations, demonstrating systems like UNICOSIS for student information management and a Procurement Management System.
• Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on validation of academic qualifications for university enrolment and accreditation of qualifications developed by universities. HEA and ZAQA have initiated discussions to streamline qualification validation processes.
• Ministry of EducationflagshipOthersHEA provides advisory services to the Minister of Education on all matters related to higher education. Coordinates long-term planning and overall development of higher education for government approval.
• Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint regulatory oversight for health-related training programmes. Collaboration on accreditation of teaching personnel and learning programmes for medical universities like Levy Mwanawasa Medical University.
• Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCZ presented at HEA's capacity building workshop on quality assurance processes, providing guidance on teaching standards and professional development for HEIs.
• European Union Delegation to Zambia and COMESAmoderateOthersHEA had a meeting with the EU Ambassador regarding collaboration and support for higher education development initiatives in Zambia.
• TEVETA ZambiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority - partner in skills development and vocational training oversight within higher education ecosystem.
• Higher Education Loans and Scholarships BoardmoderateOthersGovernment body for student financial support, linked for reference on HEA's website as part of the higher education ecosystem.

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU): Tanzania's statutory regulator for university registration, accreditation, and quality assurance. Directly comparable to HEA as an East African national higher education authority with similar registration, accreditation, and audit mandates over public and private HEIs.
• Council on Higher Education (CHE) South Africa: South Africa's statutory quality council for higher education, responsible for programme accreditation, institutional audits, and quality promotion. The most mature African analogue to HEA, with comparable statutory remit and broader regulatory scope.
• Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (TEC): Ghana's regulator overseeing tertiary institutions including universities and technical universities. A direct West African peer to HEA in scope, registration, and quality assurance oversight of higher education.
• National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Uganda: Uganda's statutory body responsible for regulating higher education institutions and programmes. A closely comparable peer to HEA in mandate, structure, and regional context for quality assurance across East African universities.
• Kenya Commission for University Education (CUE): Kenya's statutory regulator for university education, accredits programmes, audits institutions, and classifies universities. Comparable to HEA in function and East African regional context, with a more developed accreditation framework.
• National Universities Commission (NUC) Nigeria: Nigeria's statutory body overseeing university education, including accreditation of programmes and institutions. Comparable as the largest African higher education regulator with similar mandate to HEA at greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): US-based association coordinating accreditation recognition and quality assurance policy across higher education. A broad incumbent peer representing the policy and framework coordination function that HEA performs nationally in Zambia.
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA): UK's independent quality body for higher education, conducting reviews, accreditation, and standards setting. A broader incumbent peer representing a more mature version of the regulatory function HEA performs in Zambia.
• Office for Students (OfS) UK: The principal regulator of higher education in England, with statutory powers over registration, quality, and funding of HE providers. A broad incumbent peer in a more developed regulatory market, analogous in function to HEA at national scale.

Regional players

• Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA): Botswana's statutory authority for qualifications accreditation and quality assurance across education and training. Comparable as a Southern African regional regulator covering quality standards, though with broader qualifications remit than HEA's HEI focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heazambia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HEAZambia
• Facebookfacebook.com/heazambia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heazambia
• Instagraminstagram.com/heazambia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Higher Education Authority (hea)