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Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has issued a notice of intent to cancel the registration of private higher education colleges, Damelin, City Varsity, and ICESA City Campus.
- Damelin, City Varsity, and ICESA City Campus failed to submit their 2024 annual reports despite being given until 6 June 2025 to do so.
- The Department of Higher Education said in a statement on Saturday that it had received reliable confirmation that City Varsity (Pty) Ltd and ICESA City Campus (Pty) Ltd were no longer in operation and were therefore not providing higher education.
- The department said it would ensure that affected students were supported through appropriate academic and administrative arrangements.
Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has issued a notice of intent to cancel the registration of private higher education colleges, Damelin, City Varsity, and ICESA City Campus.
In a media statement on Saturday, Manamela’s spokesperson, Matshepo Seedat, said the department’s action followed “a prolonged pattern of non-compliance with the Higher Education Act and the Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions”.
“The decision is therefore undertaken in the interest of protecting students and upholding the integrity of the sector.”
She said the department had an obligation to ensure that private institutions “deliver quality education and demonstrate financial sustainability”.
It decided to issue the notice of intent to cancel the registrations after the three institutions failed to submit their 2024 annual reports, despite an extension until 30 June 2024 and a final remedial deadline of 6 June 2025.
According to Seedat, the three institutions failed to demonstrate financial and operational sustainability.
They did not provide audited financial statements, proof of financial surety/guarantees, SARS tax compliance certificates, and occupational health and safety compliance.
“The department had received reliable confirmation that City Varsity (Pty) Ltd and ICESA City Campus (Pty) Ltd have ceased operating and are therefore not providing higher education within the meaning of the act.”
She said the notice of intent to cancel would be gazetted in accordance with the Higher Education Act.
“The institutions will be allowed to make representations, as required by law. The department will ensure that students affected by this process are supported through appropriate academic and administrative arrangements.”
The department remains committed to protecting students from being enrolled in institutions that cannot demonstrate financial and operational sustainability and ensuring that providers of higher education operate within the legal and quality assurance framework, she said.
“We also remain committed to acting decisively to uphold the integrity of the South African higher education system.
“Institutions that fail to meet their legal and educational obligations cannot be allowed to compromise the futures of the people they serve,” she added.
On 4 November 2025, News24 published that a committee of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) deliberated a recommendation that the higher education qualifications accredited by Damelin be put on “notice of withdrawal of accreditation, with conditions”.
The CHE said its Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) had reviewed the report of a panel of independent peer academics, which investigated the provision of Damelin’s accredited programmes and resolved to allow Damelin to submit representations in response to the recommendation.
The HEQC’s recommendation was discussed on 7 November.
Dr Sipho Nzimande, the strategic advisor of the Damelin recovery process, informed News24 in an emailed response at the time that Manamela had authorised Damelin to continue its institutional recovery and had restored it to its registered private higher education status.
Damelin was no longer part of the Educor group of companies, according to Nzimande, and operated independently under its own management and strategic advisory structure.
Educor previously claimed that its brands, Damelin, City Varsity, ICESA City Campus, and Lyceum College, had a total student enrolment of 50 000, whereas its 2022 annual report indicated only 13 096 students.
The director-general of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Nkosinathi Sishi, cancelled the registration of Damelin, City Varsity, ICESA City Campus, and Lyceum College in July 2023 due to, among other things, the failure to submit annual financial statements and tax clearance certificates for the 2021 and 2022 financial years.
However, the department granted complete registration to all four brands in March 2025.
Nzimande said Damelin submitted comprehensive representations to the council’s HEQC in response to the independent panel’s report.
He stated that Damelin’s highly publicised deregistration in July 2023 was due to the late submission of administrative documents and was not related to the accreditation or the quality of the programmes.
“There were no letters or engagement from the CHE, and they had expressed no concerns on the quality or accreditation of programmes for the institution.
“It is important to note that the Minister of Higher Education has authorised Damelin to continue its institutional recovery and has restored it to its registered private higher education status.”
Nzimande said the authorisation recognised the corrective measures already undertaken, “the stabilisation of governance and finances, and our continued commitment to protecting students and restoring confidence”.
News24 reached out to Damelin for comment. Its response will be included once received.
