9 provincial CET colleges, 3 200+ Community Learning Centres, AET Levels 1-4 and the GETC qualification. The second-chance education system for adults and out-of-school youth.
A Community Education and Training (CET) college is a DHET-funded public institution offering second-chance education to adults and out-of-school youth. South Africa has 9 CET colleges (one per province) operating about 3 200 Community Learning Centres nationwide. They deliver Adult Education and Training (AET) Levels 1 to 4, the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC), plus skills programmes.
South Africa is structured as one CET college per province. Each runs hundreds of Community Learning Centres (CLCs) and Satellite Learning Centres (SLCs) located inside schools, libraries and community halls.
Eastern Cape
Head office: Zwelitsha
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Eastern Cape.
View Community Learning Centres →Free State
Head office: Bloemfontein
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Free State.
View Community Learning Centres →Gauteng
Head office: Johannesburg
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Gauteng.
View Community Learning Centres →KwaZulu-Natal
Head office: Pietermaritzburg
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across KwaZulu-Natal.
View Community Learning Centres →Limpopo
Head office: Polokwane
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Limpopo.
View Community Learning Centres →Mpumalanga
Head office: Mbombela (Nelspruit)
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Mpumalanga.
View Community Learning Centres →North West
Head office: Mafikeng
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across North West.
View Community Learning Centres →Northern Cape
Head office: Kimberley
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Northern Cape.
View Community Learning Centres →Western Cape
Head office: Cape Town
Delivers AET Levels 1-4, the GETC qualification and skills programmes through Community Learning Centres located across Western Cape.
View Community Learning Centres →Find your nearest Community Learning Centre via the DHET CET directory. The official Government Gazette also publishes an annual amended list of CLCs and SLCs by province.
Adult Education and Training (formerly ABET) at NQF Levels 1-4. Designed to take learners from no formal education to the equivalent of Grade 9. Subjects include Language, Literacy and Communication, Mathematical Literacy or Mathematics, Life Orientation, plus academic or vocational electives.
120-credit NQF Level 1 qualification awarded after successful completion of AET Level 4. Equivalent to Grade 9. Opens further-study pathways including TVET college NCV and NATED programmes.
Short, practical skills programmes in fields like sewing, hospitality, basic computer literacy and entrepreneurship. Often run in partnership with local SETAs.
Classes are usually run at Community Learning Centres (CLCs), often inside schools, libraries or community halls in the evenings or on weekends. This makes the programmes accessible to working learners and parents.
A Community Education and Training (CET) college is a DHET-funded public institution offering second-chance education to adults and out-of-school youth. South Africa has 9 CET colleges (one per province) operating about 3 200 Community Learning Centres nationwide. They deliver Adult Education and Training (AET) Levels 1-4, the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC), plus skills programmes.
AET (Adult Education and Training, formerly ABET) is the curriculum and qualification at NQF Levels 1-4. CET (Community Education and Training) colleges are the institutions that deliver AET, plus skills programmes and the GETC. AET Level 4 is roughly equivalent to Grade 9.
The General Education and Training Certificate (GETC: Adult Basic Education and Training) is a 120-credit NQF Level 1 qualification. You earn it after completing AET Level 4. You take Language, Literacy and Communication, Mathematical Literacy or Mathematics, Life Orientation, plus three academic areas or one vocational area with electives. The GETC opens up further study options including TVET NCV and NATED programmes.
Going back to the classroom after a break takes courage, and CET is built to meet you where you are. Apply directly at your nearest Community Learning Centre or the head office of your provincial CET college. There are usually no formal academic entry requirements for AET Level 1. Staff will assess you and place you at the right level. Classes run part-time, in the evenings or on weekends, so they fit around work.