On 11 June 2026, the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Bhuti Manamela, announced transitional arrangements necessitating the full implementation of occupational qualifications and the phased discontinuation of various legacy (pre-2009) qualifications.
The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) welcomes this announcement, as it does not adversely affect the real estate sector. On the contrary, it provides both current and prospective property practitioners with an opportunity to enrol for, complete and submit proof of completion of the relevant qualifications, together with statements of results, to the PPRA. This will enable them to proceed with the Professional Designation Examination (PDE) within the prescribed regulatory timelines. It should be noted that the existing prescribed regulatory timelines for the completion of qualifications and the PDE remain unchanged.
The announcement, however, has implications for certain real estate qualifications required for practice in the property sector, as outlined below:
- Legacy National Certificate in Real Estate – NQF Level 5 (Qualification ID 20188): The cut-off date for enrolment in this qualification remains 30 June 2026. Property practitioners who intend to enrol for this legacy qualification are therefore urged to do so urgently with an accredited Skills Development Provider. Accreditation status may be verified on the Services SETA (www.serviceseta.org.za) or QCTO (www.qcto.org.za) websites. Failure to enrol by the stipulated deadline will require affected practitioners to transition to the new occupational qualification framework.
- Legacy Further Education and Training Certificate: Real Estate – NQF Level 4 (Qualification ID 59097): The enrolment period for this legacy qualification has been extended by a further 24 months, from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2028. This extension is welcomed and is a positive development for the property sector. However, it does not amend the prescribed regulatory requirement for candidate and non-principal property practitioners to complete an NQF Level 4 qualification. Instead, it provides
- Occupational Certificate: Real Estate Agent – NQF Level 4 (Qualification ID 118714).
The PPRA encourages all affected stakeholders to act promptly to ensure compliance with the stipulated requirements.
The table below provides a detailed breakdown of these requirements.
Select the image to view a larger version.
The PPRA encourages all property practitioners to continue engaging actively with their accredited Skills Development Providers and workplaces to ensure that they complete their qualifications and assessments within the prescribed timelines.
Aspirant and registered property practitioners who qualify for the grant of educational exemption (‘equivalency exemptions’) are encouraged to submit their exemption applications to exemptions@theppra.org.za.
Upon completion of qualifications, property practitrioners are reminded to submit certified copies of the qualification together with the statement of results to upgrades@theppra.org.za.
All candidate property practitioners are reminded to complete the required 6 months of workplace learning or practical training and submit certified letters of completion of workplace learning or practical training to the PPRA using practicaltraining@theppra.org.za.
The PPRA wishes all property practitioners success in their professionalisation journey and remains committed to supporting the development of a qualified, competent and professional property sector.