Majuba TVET College is a public technical and vocational education institution based in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, serving the Amajuba and Umzinyathi districts. It is one of the larger TVET colleges in the province, with campuses spread across Newcastle, Madadeni, and Dundee, and it has built its reputation around heavy-industry training that feeds directly into the region’s coal, steel, and manufacturing sectors. Unlike colleges that spread themselves evenly across every field, Majuba leans heavily into engineering and artisan trades, while still running a full slate of business, IT, hospitality, and agriculture programmes.
This article explains what Majuba offers across its NCV, NATED, and trade programmes, what each qualification requires for entry, and how APS is actually used — or not used — during selection. It is written for students planning to apply for the 2026 and 2027 academic years and who want a straight answer on entry requirements before starting an application.
How Admission Works at Majuba TVET College
A common misunderstanding among applicants is expecting Majuba to work like a university, where a single Total APS number decides whether you get in. Majuba does not apply a fixed Total APS threshold across its programmes. Instead, admission is judged mainly on specific subject results relevant to the course applied for, combined with the level of school qualification held (Grade 9, Grade 11, or matric, depending on the programme). Where campus space is limited and demand is high — engineering N4 intakes and popular business specialisations are the clearest examples — stronger subject marks in Mathematics, Physical Science, or English push an applicant higher up the ranking list, even without a formally published cut-off score.
This means the entry requirement for any given course depends heavily on three things: the qualification type (NCV, NATED, or occupational/trade), the specific subject performance in Mathematics, Science, Accounting, or English, and, for N4 and higher NATED levels, whether a matric certificate or an equivalent NCV Level 4 is held.
Majuba’s Campus Structure
Majuba operates through a decentralised campus model, meaning a student cannot simply “apply to Majuba” without first identifying which campus runs their intended course. Each site specialises in a different field, and applying to the wrong campus for a given trade is one of the most common mistakes prospective students make.
| Campus | Focus Area | Typical Programmes |
|---|---|---|
| Majuba Technology Centre (MTC) – Madadeni | Engineering (Civil & Chemical) | Civil Engineering, Water and Wastewater Treatment (Chemical Plant Operation), Primary Agriculture |
| Newcastle Technology Centre (NEWTECH) | Engineering (Mechanical & Electrical) | Electrical Engineering, Fitting & Turning, Boilermaking |
| Newcastle Training Centre (NTC) | Artisan Trades | Apprenticeships and learnerships in Fitting, Electrical, Boilermaking, Welding, Rigging, Millwright, Instrument Mechanician |
| IT & Business Campus (ITB) – Newcastle | Business & Computer Studies | Management Assistant (Office Administration), Farming Management, Hospitality, IT |
| Centre for People Development (CPD) – Madadeni | Business Studies | Human Resource Management, Public Management |
| Dundee Technology Centre (DTC) | Business & IT | Business-related NCV and NATED programmes for the Dundee area |
| Open Learning Unit (OLU) | Flexible/Distance Learning | Selected business and skills programmes for part-time students |
Applicants should confirm the exact campus offering their intended course on the college’s application portal before submitting, since programme availability shifts slightly between intakes.
NCV Programmes at Majuba TVET College
The National Certificate (Vocational) is a three-year programme structured across NQF Levels 2 to 4 and is designed for students who have not yet completed matric. NCV combines classroom theory with structured practical training and is generally treated as an alternative, vocationally focused route to the same NQF level as a matric pass.
Entry into NCV Level 2 typically requires:
- A Grade 9 year-end school report, with a pass in Mathematics (or Technical Mathematics) and English, or
- A Grade 10 or Grade 11 report, which also satisfies entry in most cases, or
- An equivalent qualification such as ABET Level 4/NQF Level 1, assessed on a case-by-case basis.
There is no fixed APS score attached to NCV admission at Majuba. As long as the applicant has passed Grade 9 (or higher) Mathematics and English, they meet the baseline requirement for most NCV fields, including engineering, business studies, IT, office administration, and hospitality. Note that the NCV intake at Majuba runs once a year, opening in January, and is not available during the mid-year application window.
NATED (Report 191) Programmes and Entry Requirements
NATED programmes follow the familiar N1 to N6 structure, and this is where subject-specific requirements — and, for engineering, an informal APS benchmark — become more relevant. A National Diploma is awarded once a student completes N6 and logs 18 months of relevant workplace experience.
Engineering Studies
Majuba’s engineering offering is its strongest pillar, spanning Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical trades such as Fitting & Turning, and Boilermaking, alongside a specialised Water and Wastewater Treatment (Chemical Plant Operation) stream — one of the few of its kind offered by a KwaZulu-Natal TVET college.
| Level | Entry Requirement |
|---|---|
| N1 – N3 | Grade 11 with a pass in Mathematics and Physical Science (bridging stream available for those without the required subjects) |
| N4 | Matric (National Senior Certificate) with Mathematics — Pure Mathematics is preferred over Mathematical Literacy — and Physical Science |
| N5 | Pass in all, or at least three, N4 subjects |
| N6 | Pass in all, or at least three, N5 subjects |
| National Diploma | Completion of N6 plus 18 months of verified practical/workplace experience |
Applicants who hold Mathematical Literacy rather than Pure Mathematics are usually redirected into the N1–N3 bridging stream first, since N4 engineering study assumes a stronger mathematics foundation than Mathematical Literacy typically provides.
Business Studies
Majuba’s NATED Business Studies programmes are split across the IT & Business Campus, the Centre for People Development, and the Dundee Technology Centre, and include specialisations such as Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Public Management, and Management Assistant (Office Administration).
Because demand for business courses is consistently high, a standard matric pass is the baseline, but specific subject marks strengthen an application and, at some specialisations, function as an informal entry threshold:
- Financial Management — requires matric with Accounting as a subject.
- Human Resource Management — requires matric with at least 60% in English.
- Public Management — requires matric with at least 50% in English.
- General Business Studies (Management Assistant, Marketing, etc.) — a standard matric pass is accepted, though a minimum of 30% in English and 30% in Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy is recommended to strengthen placement, given how competitive these programmes are.
N5 and N6 in the business stream follow the same progression logic used across NATED: a pass in all, or at least three, of the subjects from the level completed before it.
Hospitality and Agriculture
Majuba runs a National Certificate (Vocational) pathway in Hospitality that spans 18 months of theoretical study and 18 months of workplace training, covering Hospitality Generics, Food Preparation, and Client Services, with graduates progressing through to N4–N6 certification. Primary Agriculture is offered mainly through the Majuba Technology Centre and is one of the few formally structured agriculture programmes available at a KZN TVET college, aimed at students interested in production and rural development careers.
Trade and Occupational Programmes
Beyond NCV and NATED, Majuba runs formal apprenticeship and learnership pathways for artisan trades through the Newcastle Training Centre. These programmes prepare students to become qualified fitters, fitter and turners, electricians, millwrights, boilermakers, welders, riggers, and instrument mechanicians — trades in continuous demand across Newcastle’s steel, mining, and manufacturing base. The pathway generally works as follows:
- Complete N2/N3 theory (or a relevant NCV qualification) in the chosen trade.
- Enter an apprenticeship or learnership that combines further theory with structured workplace experience.
- Complete a practical workplace logbook, verified by an accredited supervisor, as part of the trade test preparation.
- Sit the relevant trade test to qualify as an artisan in that field.
These programmes are typically entered after N2 or N3 study rather than directly from matric, and placement depends on availability of workplace hosts as much as on academic performance.
Applying to Majuba TVET College
Majuba processes all applications through its Coltech-based online portal rather than accepting walk-in paper applications. The general process is as follows:
- Visit the official application portal and select “Apply Now.”
- Complete a compulsory Career Interest Test before course selection unlocks — this step is designed to match applicants with subjects and trades suited to their strengths.
- Create a student profile and select the intake year, campus, and specific course, taking care to match the trade or specialisation to the correct campus.
- Complete a Pre-Entry Placement Assessment, which is compulsory for the application to proceed further.
- Upload certified copies of your ID document, your most recent school report or matric certificate, and proof of residence.
- Submit the application and retain the reference number issued for tracking purposes.
Applicants should note that business programmes run on a six-month semester system, while engineering programmes run on three-month trimesters, which affects when intakes open. The January intake covers both NCV and NATED programmes, while the mid-year intake (roughly April to August, depending on the stream) is reserved strictly for NATED courses; NCV applications remain closed until the following January cycle.
Fees and NSFAS Funding
Tuition costs at Majuba vary by programme structure. Engineering courses, billed per trimester, generally range from approximately R3,000 to R5,000 every three months, while business courses, billed per semester, range from approximately R4,000 to R6,000 every six months. Students who qualify for NSFAS funding have their tuition fully covered, and eligible students can also access support for meals and, where available, accommodation. On-campus residence at Majuba is limited and concentrated mainly around the Majuba Technology Centre in Madadeni and select Newcastle sites, so most students arrange private accommodation in Newcastle, Madadeni, or Dundee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Majuba TVET College use a Total APS score for admission?
No. Majuba does not apply a single Total APS threshold across its programmes. Admission is based on specific subject results — particularly Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting, or English — relevant to the chosen course, along with the qualification level held.
What subjects are needed for NATED Engineering N4 at Majuba?
A matric certificate with Mathematics (Pure Mathematics is preferred) and Physical Science is required for N4 engineering entry. Applicants with Mathematical Literacy are generally placed into the N1–N3 bridging stream first.
Can a student without matric apply to Majuba?
Yes, through the NCV pathway. NCV Level 2 accepts a Grade 9, 10, or 11 report, provided the applicant has passed Mathematics (or Technical Mathematics) and English at that level.
Is there a mid-year intake at Majuba TVET College?
Yes, but it is limited strictly to NATED (Report 191) courses from N4 to N6. NCV applications only open during the January intake cycle.
How do I know which campus offers my chosen course?
Majuba is decentralised, and each of its campuses specialises in specific fields — engineering, business, or trades. Applicants should confirm the exact campus for their intended course on the official application portal before applying, since selecting the wrong campus can delay or invalidate an application.