SAQA 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 THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Postgraduate Diploma: Financial Planning 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
48866  Postgraduate Diploma: Financial Planning 
ORIGINATOR
University of the Free State 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Finance, Economics and Accounting 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  160  Level 7  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 SAQA 0695/12  2012-07-01  2014-12-31 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2015-12-31   2018-12-31  

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 is replaced by: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
96722  Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  120  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Learners will be professionally competent to provide financial planning services to a wide range of clients in society and business. Existing and proposed financial services legislation on a national level, and the professionalisation of the financial services environment internationally, have placed a high premium on the provision of sound financial planning expertise. Qualified financial planners are not only in demand nationally in a wide range of legal and economic professions, but through CFP-membership, can gain access to the national and internationally accredited profession of Certified Financial Planner, and presently practise in more than 18 major countries.

Rationale for the Qualification
In 1983 the need to have a proper program for financial advisors and brokers was fulfilled by the introduction of the then called ILPA certificate. The rationale then was to educate, train and assess people in the financial services industry to assure better standards, knowledge levels and professionalism. With the introduction of SAQA and the NQF framework it was decided by industry to get approval for this program. The University of the Free State got approval for the program in 2000. The UFS was involved with the certificate as quality assurer and moderator up till then. The rationale for the qualification is still to educate, train and assess people in the financial services industry to assure top class standards, knowledge skills and professionalism in the industry. This role is even more important as people in the financial services industry are currently forced by legislation (regulations to Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act) to obtain certain qualifications within five years (This is one of the qualifications). This qualification is also the only recognized qualification in South Africa for the International Certified Financial Planner status. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Knowledge of the rules, regulations and legislation governing South African financial service operations.
Ethics and Liability.
Knowledge of tax principles.
Be able to list and explain the differences, advantages and disadvantages of the different forms of business

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
Relevant experience confirmed by prior learning assessment will be considered, on condition that it is assessed as equal to a formal 360 credit qualification 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

QUALIFICATION RULES 
Credits and learning component assigned to the Qualification
160 credits/1 600 notional hours

Fundamental learning
The Financial Planning Environment 10 credits
The Financial Planning profession
Understanding the client
Financial Calculations

Personal Financial Planning 10 credits
Estate Duty Act
Capital Gains Tax
Wills Act
Matrimonial Property Act
Long-term Insurance Act
Short-term Insurance Act

Corporate Financial Planning 10 credits
Knowledge of different business entities

Case study 10 credits
Financial planning process
Tax in South Africa
Financial Calculations
Compliance

Core learning:

The Financial Planning environment 30 credits
The Financial Planning process
Certain basics of Financial Planning
Regulatory environment for financial planners
Introduction to economics
Tax in South Africa influencing financial planning

Personal Financial Planning 30 credits

Investment planning
Investment instruments
Investment products
Foreign Investments
Factors influencing investments
Investment planning
Estate planning
Succession Planning
Wills
Tax planning
Retirement planning
Retirement annuity funds
Pension, provident and benefit funds
Applying and reducing the average rate of tax

Corporate Financial Planning 30 credits
Interpretation of financial accounts
Valuation of shares and businesses
Company owned policies
Health benefits

Case study 30 credits
Knowledge of personal financial planning
Knowledge of corporate financial planning

Elective learning:
Not applicable in this instance 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
Learners will demonstrate the capability to:
Apply essential financial planning expertise and knowledge in financial planning for the benefit of clients and society

Establish a planner/client relationship by explaining concepts and services and client responsibilities - all within the parameters of professional conduct;

Assess a client profile, obtain documented personal information and determine the current financial status of a client;

Determine the financial goals (capital risk and investment needs) of a client;

Present a plan to a client for approval and agreement;

Implement, manage and monitor such plan within the ethical constraints of the profession, testing effectiveness and recommending change where necessa 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
Learners will have to provide evidence, in the various learning modules in the different prescribed fields of financial planning, of attaining the required knowledge and expertise by:

Presenting and analyzing hypothetical case studies and proposals in financial planning;

Writing assessments of client needs with suggested strategies to address those needs;

Drafting investment and other financial plans with due regard to financial risks, applicable regulatory and legislative requirements, investment options and the influence of changing economic conditions and markets;

Write proposals for implementation and monitoring of such plans

Integrated assessment
A variety of continuous assessment case studies, proposals, assignments, financial plans and summative assessments will be integrated into learning. 

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
Because of the differences especially in law between affiliate countries direct benchmarking is difficult. However the Certified Financial Planner programs of USA and Australia formed part of our planning process when this program was re-developed and reassessed. This program must be inline with international CFP standards to be accredited as a CFP education programme and currently it is the only program accredited by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards in South Africa. We are therefore confident that this program is of an international standard and comparability. 

ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning
LL M
MBA 

MODERATION OPTIONS 
Internal moderation will be entrusted to specific moderators.
External moderation will be undertaken by specialists qualified on an NQF level higher than that of the learners. 

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
N/A 

REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012. 

NOTES 
N/A 

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.
 
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.
 
1. University of the Free State 


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.