Mthashana TVET College is a public technical and vocational education institution in the northern region of KwaZulu-Natal. It falls under the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and serves one of the most under-resourced parts of the province, offering practical, career-focused training to school leavers and adult learners across Zululand, uMkhanyakude, and uMzinyathi districts. This article sets out the courses Mthashana offers, the fees students can expect for 2026, and the requirements for admission.
Overview of Mthashana TVET College
Mthashana TVET College covers a wide catchment area served by three district municipalities: Zululand, uMkhanyakude, and uMzinyathi. This region carries significant socio-economic challenges, with unemployment and low levels of formal schooling affecting a large share of the population the college serves. Against that backdrop, Mthashana positions itself as a route into stable employment or self-employment for young people who might otherwise have limited access to further education.
The college operates eight campuses spread across its three districts. Its main hubs are the Vryheid Business Campus and Vryheid Engineering Campus, which together offer a wide spread of business and engineering qualifications and carry the most developed facilities, including libraries, computer labs, and practical training centres. Additional campuses include the Nquthu Campus in the uMzinyathi District, the Kwa-Gqikazi Campus, the Nongoma Campus, the Emandleni Campus, the Maputa Campus, and the Babanango Skills Centre, which extends access to more rural and remote learners through foundational and technical short programmes.
Mthashana TVET College is fully accredited to offer National Certificate: Vocational (NCV) and NATED (Report 191) qualifications, both registered on the National Qualifications Framework. This means certificates and diplomas earned at the college are nationally recognised and portable across employers and further education institutions.
Types of Qualifications Offered
Mthashana structures its programme offering around the standard national TVET framework, with some flexibility in how programmes are delivered.
National Certificate Vocational (NCV): A three-year, full-time qualification running from Level 2 to Level 4, open to learners with a Grade 9 certificate or higher. NCV combines academic theory with practical training relevant to the chosen field and must be completed sequentially — a student advances from Level 2 to Level 3 to Level 4 only after passing the level before it. NCV Level 4 is recognised as equivalent to matric.
Report 191 / NATED (N-Courses): These programmes cover Engineering Studies (N1–N6) and Business Studies (N4–N6). Each National Certificate level generally takes about six months to complete, meaning the full N4 to N6 cycle takes roughly eighteen months to two years when studied consecutively. After N6, students need 18 months of logged practical experience in industry before they can be awarded the National N-Diploma. NATED programmes are offered both full-time and, for some fields, through distance or part-time study, which suits students who need to balance coursework with existing work commitments.
Skills Programmes: Shorter, focused courses aimed at specific practical competencies. Mthashana periodically runs fully funded skills programmes — recent examples include Cellphone Repair and Entrepreneurship — that combine free training with a monthly stipend for participants, aimed particularly at unemployed youth who need a fast route into an income-generating skill.
Learnerships: In partnership with SETAs, Mthashana also offers learnership programmes that combine institutional training with paid workplace experience, allowing learners to earn a stipend while working toward a nationally recognised qualification.
Courses Offered at Mthashana TVET College
The table below outlines the main study fields available across Mthashana’s NCV and NATED programmes.
| Qualification Type | Field/Programme | Levels Offered |
|---|---|---|
| NCV | Hospitality | Level 2 – 4 |
| NCV | Electrical Infrastructure Construction | Level 2 – 4 |
| NCV | Civil Engineering and Building Construction | Level 2 – 4 |
| NATED (Engineering) | Mechanical Engineering | N1 – N6 |
| NATED (Engineering) | Electrical Engineering | N1 – N6 |
| NATED (Engineering) | Civil Engineering | N1 – N6 |
| NATED (Business) | Business Management | N4 – N6 |
| NATED (Business) | Human Resource Management | N4 – N6 |
| NATED (Business) | Financial Management | N4 – N6 |
| NATED (Business) | Management Assistant | N4 – N6 |
| NATED (Business) | Public Management | N4 – N6 |
| NATED (Business) | Tourism Management | N4 – N6 |
| Other | Agricultural Management and Primary Agriculture Production | Level/qualification varies by campus |
| Skills/Learnerships | Cellphone Repair, Entrepreneurship, trade-specific skills | Short course, stipend-based |
Business Studies programmes such as Business Management, Human Resource Management, Financial Management, and Tourism Management run mainly at the Kwa-Gqikazi and Vryheid Business campuses. Engineering programmes in Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil disciplines are concentrated at the Vryheid Engineering, Nquthu, and Nongoma campuses. Prospective students should confirm which campus hosts their intended programme before applying, since not every field is available at every site.
Mthashana TVET College Fees
As with all public TVET colleges in South Africa, there’s no application fee to apply at Mthashana — submitting an application costs nothing, whether done online or in person at a campus.
Annual tuition for NCV programmes generally falls between R10,000 and R15,000 per year, with the specific amount depending on the discipline and level of study. Engineering-related NCV fields, which require more resource-intensive practical training and specialised workshop equipment, tend to sit toward the higher end of that range, while Business Studies and Agriculture programmes are generally closer to the lower end. NATED programmes, because they run on a structured trimester or semester schedule rather than a single annual block, often carry a different fee structure calculated per level rather than per year — students should confirm the exact per-level cost for their specific NATED programme with the college’s finance office.
Beyond tuition, students should budget separately for study materials and textbooks, which typically run to around R1,500 to R2,500 annually depending on the programme, along with any practical equipment or protective gear required for engineering and technical fields. Skills programmes and learnerships funded through SETA partnerships are frequently offered at no cost to the learner, and in some cases include a monthly stipend rather than requiring any payment at all.
Because fee amounts are reviewed annually and can differ between campuses and programmes, the figures above serve as a general guide. The college’s officially published fee schedule remains the accurate reference to confirm before registering for a specific academic year.
NSFAS Funding at Mthashana TVET College
Mthashana TVET College is a registered NSFAS institution. To qualify for funding, a student’s combined household income must not exceed R350,000 per year, or R600,000 per year if the applicant has a disability. This slightly higher threshold for students with disabilities is a standard NSFAS provision applied across all funded institutions, not something specific to Mthashana.
For students who qualify, NSFAS funding covers tuition fees in full and, depending on individual circumstances, may extend to additional allowances covering living costs and learning materials. Applications for NSFAS funding are made directly through the NSFAS website, not through the college, and require supporting documents such as proof of household income and academic transcripts.
Beyond NSFAS, Mthashana also works with SETA partners to run learnership programmes that combine paid workplace experience with formal institutional training, and it maintains bursary partnerships with selected employers and industry bodies, particularly within the engineering and agriculture sectors. Students who don’t qualify for NSFAS, or who want to explore additional funding routes, can approach the college’s student support office for guidance on these alternatives.
Admission Requirements
Entry requirements at Mthashana depend on the qualification type and the specific level being applied for.
For NCV programmes, the general requirement is a Grade 9 pass or higher. In some cases, applicants who already hold a Grade 12 certificate can be placed into a more advanced stream even at NCV Level 2, depending on the subjects and marks achieved at school. Progression through NCV is strictly sequential — a student cannot skip from Level 2 to Level 4 without first completing and passing Level 3.
For NATED programmes, a National Senior Certificate (matric) or Senior Certificate is required to enter at N4. Certain programmes carry additional subject-specific requirements, such as a minimum pass in Mathematics or English, so applicants should check the specific requirements listed for their intended field before applying.
All applicants, regardless of programme, need to submit a certified copy of their South African ID, a certified copy of their latest school results, proof of residential address, and their next of kin’s ID copy as part of a complete application.
How to Apply
Applications to Mthashana TVET College are submitted online through the college’s application portal, which runs on the Coltech system shared by several KwaZulu-Natal TVET colleges. Students who have applied to another Coltech-based college before can use the same username (their ID number) and password to apply at Mthashana. Applications can also be submitted in person at any of the college’s eight campuses.
Application windows vary by intake. Main-year NCV and NATED applications for the January intake generally open around September of the preceding year, though this period can be short — in some years lasting only a single month — so early submission matters. Mthashana also runs distance and part-time NATED intakes during the year, including a Trimester 2 and Semester 2 window that typically opens around March and closes in early April, aimed at students who want to study Engineering or Business Studies from N4 to N6 while working or managing other commitments.
Applicants completing the college’s compulsory placement or career guidance test should complete it themselves rather than allowing someone else to do so on their behalf, since the result is used to recommend a suitable programme, and a mismatched result can lead to placement in a course that doesn’t suit the applicant’s ability or interests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an application fee at Mthashana TVET College?
No. Applying to Mthashana, whether online or at a campus, does not require any payment.
How much does NCV cost per year at Mthashana?
NCV tuition generally ranges from about R10,000 to R15,000 per year, with engineering programmes typically at the higher end and business or agriculture programmes closer to the lower end.
Does NSFAS cover NATED programmes as well as NCV?
Yes. NSFAS funding at Mthashana applies to both NCV and NATED students who meet the household income threshold, covering full tuition and, in some cases, additional living cost allowances.
Can I study a NATED programme part-time or by distance?
Yes. Mthashana offers Distance and Part-Time NATED programmes in Engineering and Business Studies from N4 to N6, with separate application windows during the year for these intakes.
What documents do I need to apply?
A certified copy of your ID, your latest certified school results, proof of residential address, and your next of kin’s ID copy are required for any application, regardless of the programme.