BOKSBURG, Gauteng — Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has officially mandated a comprehensive SETA governance reset, challenging newly inducted Sector Education and Training Authority leaders to abandon administrative complacency and spearhead a national “Skills Revolution.” Addressing the induction of SETA Accounting Authorities and Chief Executive Officers, the Minister delivered a stark warning that institutions failing to maintain strict accountability and public trust will face severe consequences.
Manamela emphasized that leading these institutions extends far beyond ceremonial titles. Because SETAs manage massive public funds and are pivotal to shaping the national workforce, he framed the appointments as a profound civic obligation.
“Your appointment is not an administrative honour. It is a public duty,” Manamela stated. “The decisions you take in the next few years will help determine whether South Africa builds the capabilities it needs to industrialise, to create work, to raise productivity, and to become a more equal society.”
This decisive call to action stems from a critical engagement with the National Skills Authority (NSA) on 30 June, during which government officials formally agreed to initiate a sweeping governance and performance overhaul across the entire SETA landscape. Manamela assured stakeholders that political leadership will maintain a hands-on approach to eliminate institutional drift and eradicate programs that drain public finances without delivering tangible value.
“It is because our people cannot afford another season of institutional drift, weak governance, and programmes that consume public money without producing public value,” he cautioned.
To combat South Africa’s entrenched challenges—including persistent unemployment, stark inequality, sluggish economic growth, technological disruption, and critical skills deficits—Manamela argued that minor tweaks are insufficient. Instead, he introduced the “Skills Revolution.” This initiative aims to completely restructure the skills development ecosystem to prioritize economic and developmental imperatives. The core shift involves moving away from merely tracking training inputs to demanding measurable outcomes in employment, productivity, and overall development.
Under this new paradigm, SETAs must evolve. They can no longer operate merely as passive grant-dispensing entities or bursary management offices. Instead, they must function as strategic economic drivers that synchronize workplace learning with actual industry demands. Future success will be evaluated on concrete metrics: closing critical skills gaps, scaling workplace-based learning, fortifying Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and community colleges, assisting workers through technological transitions, and expanding access to sustainable jobs.
Good governance remains the bedrock of this transformation, as failures directly damage learners, businesses, and communities. Manamela drew a hard line regarding the separation of powers to ensure operational integrity.
“The Accounting Authority must govern. Executive management must manage. Chairpersons must not become executive chairpersons. Board members must not use their seats to chase contracts, appointments, or the interests of those who nominated them,” Manamela directed, while also warning executives against hoarding information from boards or establishing shadow power structures.
To enforce these new standards, the Minister announced a significantly expanded mandate for the National Skills Authority. He branded the NSA as the “evidence engine, consultation engine and governance conscience” of the national skills framework. Manamela issued a zero-tolerance directive regarding the NSA’s lawful duties, stating that no SETA or official may obstruct or ignore the body.
“We will not tolerate delayed documents. We will not tolerate selective disclosure. We will not tolerate correspondence that goes unanswered,” he asserted.
Moving forward, the operational relationship between the Department of Higher Education and Training, the NSA, and the SETAs will be heavily formalized. This includes the rollout of new governance guidelines, standardized induction protocols, quarterly performance evaluations, specific governance indicators, and intensified collaboration with the Auditor-General.
The address concluded with five non-negotiable commitments demanded from all SETA Accounting Authorities and CEOs:
- Recognizing governance strictly as a public duty.
- Ensuring full cooperation with all oversight institutions.
- Prioritizing measurable, tangible outcomes.
- Operating as a unified, integrated post-school education and training system.
- Aligning all strategic efforts with the national Skills Revolution.