All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY |
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: |
Occupational Certificate: Company Secretary |
SAQA QUAL ID | QUALIFICATION TITLE | |||
104989 | Occupational Certificate: Company Secretary | |||
ORIGINATOR | ||||
DQP - Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa CSSA | ||||
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY | NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK | |||
- | OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework | |||
QUALIFICATION TYPE | FIELD | SUBFIELD | ||
Occupational Certificate | Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies | Generic Management | ||
ABET BAND | MINIMUM CREDITS | PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL | NQF LEVEL | QUAL CLASS |
Undefined | 544 | Not Applicable | NQF Level 08 | Regular-ELOAC |
REGISTRATION STATUS | SAQA DECISION NUMBER | REGISTRATION START DATE | REGISTRATION END DATE | |
Reregistered | EXCO 0425/24 | 2021-07-01 | 2025-12-30 | |
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT | LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT | |||
2026-12-30 | 2029-12-30 |
In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise. |
This qualification replaces: |
Qual ID | Qualification Title | Pre-2009 NQF Level | NQF Level | Min Credits | Replacement Status |
60654 | Professional Post-Graduate Qualification: Company Secretarial and Governance Practice | Level 7 | NQF Level 08 | 120 | Complete |
60655 | Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration | Level 6 | NQF Level 07 | 120 | Complete |
60653 | Professional Qualification: Governance and Administration | Level 5 | NQF Level 06 | 130 | Complete |
60651 | Professional Qualification: Management and Administration | Level 5 | NQF Level 06 | 129 | Complete |
PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION |
Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a company secretary. The qualification provides for entry after Level 4 and has two parts. The first part prepares learners to function as governance practitioners in a wide range of organisational contexts and enables learners to exit the learning pathway at Level 7. The second part builds on this general foundation laid in Part 1 and focuses specifically on the role and responsibilities of the company secretary. The autonomy and complexity of responsibilities increase from Part 1 to Part 2. A qualified learner will be able to: Rationale: This qualification is designed to provide for the need for company secretaries in South Africa. A company secretary is the custodian of corporate governance of a company and carries much of the responsibility for maintaining the company's existence as a legal entity. The company secretary is, among others, responsible to provide the directors of a company collectively and individually with guidance as to their duties, responsibilities and powers. All public and state-owned companies are required by the Companies Act 75 of 2008, to appoint a company secretary, while the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa recommends the appointment of a company secretary in all registered companies. The position of company secretary requires specialised knowledge and skills in the field of corporate governance and, at the same time, it involves the incumbent in serious potential liabilities. It is, therefore, essential that company secretaries are properly qualified to take on this role. This qualification was developed in close cooperation with Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa (CSSA), the professional body for company secretaries and governance professionals in Southern Africa, and its constituents. It was also designed to meet the qualification standards set by the Professional Standards Committee of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), which consists of subject matter experts from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong and Malaysia. These qualification standards are implemented by the professional bodies of these countries and adherence to these standards assisted in aligning this qualification to international best practice. Successful learners will be prepared for employment at senior levels in organisations and will be able to undertake leadership roles with confidence, to understand and advise on legal and governance matters and to contribute to strategic planning within the entities where they work. In addition to the role of company secretary, successful candidates will also be able to fulfil various other functions in the legal and risk divisions of organisations. This qualification is of critical importance for the South African economy. Good corporate governance is at the heart of continued domestic and foreign investment, which in turn is a prerequisite for economic growth and job creation. Similarly, confidence in the local financial markets depends on good corporate governance in the companies whose securities are traded in the markets. |
LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING |
RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment:
Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of results or certifying a work experience record. RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements. Entry Requirements: NQF Level 4 qualification with Mathematical Literacy and Communication. |
RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? |
Y |
QUALIFICATION RULES |
This qualification is made up of the following compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules.
Knowledge Modules: Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 298. Practical Skill Modules: Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 131. Work Experience Modules: Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 115. |
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES |
1. Manage functions within an organisation to achieve the objectives of the organisation while addressing the expectations of its stakeholders.
2. Apply relevant corporate and business legislation and case law to organisational contexts. 3. Prepare financial information for the board or governing body for strategic decision-making. 4. Advise on and apply corporate governance principles and best practices in various organisational contexts. 5. Communicate with peers, superiors, subordinates, customers and service providers in a work environment. 6. Complete a range of tasks required of the company secretary to ensure compliance of a corporate entity with statutory and regulatory requirements. 7. Apply the concepts and principles of strategic management to organisations in order to protect their reputation and promote good governance and accountability to stakeholders. 8. Apply the concepts of risk and compliance management in the context of good governance. 9. Interpret financial and accounting information in order to provide advice to the board or governing body in strategy development and/or decision-making. 10. Ensure compliance with corporate law across the various structures, management and performance areas of organisations. 11. Act as chief adviser to the board or governing body and other stakeholders on best practice in corporate governance, and as the catalyst for systematic application of governance principles across a wide range of organisations. |
ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10: Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 11: |
INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY |
The Occupational Certificate: Company Secretary has been compared to qualifications in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Australia.
United Kingdom: The University of Portsmouth in the UK offers a Master of Laws (LLM) Corporate Governance and Law/Grad ICSA Degree course. This Degree is designed for law and non-law graduates, practising lawyers and business professionals. Graduates will be eligible, after graduation, for the Grad ICSA qualification from ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators), and with relevant work experience graduates may also be able to apply for ACIS status (Associate in the Chartered Institute of Secretaries). Core Modules: Optional Modules: Australia: Governance Institute of Australia offers a Post Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. The Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance provides the graduate with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in good governance. This course leads to becoming an internationally recognised Chartered Secretary. The qualification follows a public or private sector stream. Modules specific for Private sector stream: Public Management and International Relations specific for Public sector stream: Modules applicable to both streams: Conclusion: The South African qualification (Occupational Certificate: Company Secretary (Governance Professional)) compares well to the qualifications mentioned above in terms of the subject matter covered and relevant applied skills needed in the workplace. |
ARTICULATION OPTIONS |
Horizontal Articulation:
This qualification articulates horizontally with the following qualification: Vertical Articulation: This qualification articulates vertically with the following qualifications: |
MODERATION OPTIONS |
N/A |
CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS |
N/A |
NOTES |
Qualifying for External Assessment:
In order to qualify for an external assessment, learners must provide proof of completion of all required modules by means of statements of results and work experience. Foundational Learning: Not required for this qualification. Additional Legal or Physical Entry Requirements: None. Criteria for The Accreditation of Providers: Accreditation of providers will be done against the criteria as reflected in the relevant curriculum on the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) website. The curriculum title and code is: Company Secretary 242203000. Encompassed Trades: This qualification encompasses the following trades as recorded on the NLRD: This is not a trade related qualification. Assessment Quality Partner (AQP): Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). Part Qualifications: 242203000, Occupational Certificate: Governance Practitioner, Level 7, 376 Credits. |
LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: |
When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification. |
NONE |
PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: |
This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here. |
NONE |
All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source. |