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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Business Administration in Brand Building and Management 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
60590  Bachelor of Business Administration in Brand Building and Management 
ORIGINATOR
The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National First Degree  Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language  Communication Studies 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  370  Level 6  NQF Level 07  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2033-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

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.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to provide qualifying students with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to effectively pursue a career in Brand Building and Management. This is a career-focused qualification designed to suit the needs of the workplace and not a generic qualification that would warrant electives across all the years of study. Students are given flexibility to explore diverse areas of the Brand Communications and Management fields through working on live briefs (Brand Challenges), in their 2nd and 3rd year. In addition, 3rd year students undertake a 4-week internship in a communications or management company. Students are encouraged to actively choose a field of specialisation in their internship, for example they are placed in a company where they are able to undergo experiential learning in a number of diverse fields such as; brand strategy, project management, strategic planners, and portfolio managers, account/client services managers, marketing manager and brand architects. Offering this choice in the third year, will ensure that learners after having been exposed to brand building and managing for a period of two and a half years, will make an informed and mature choice that enhance their employment.

Rationale:
This qualification is a career focused bachelor's qualification. The philosophic underpinning is to consider new business models, new structures, and new systems with appropriate thinking, leadership and management styles that will be more relevant to developing economies. The rooting of the qualification as opposed to a commerce qualification is to make the point that Vega's approach comes off a humanities platform and considers commerce only in the context of making meaningful difference that creates and adds value to a complex set of stakeholders). This hybrid approach to art in business is a global trend and the link to humanities is absolutely relevant to developing economies.

This is a specialised qualification with a definite set of career outcomes such as: brand manager, product manager, brand assistant, marketing manager, brand strategist, brand architect, portfolio managers, account/client service managers, communication managers, strategic planners, media planners, media strategists, business entrepreneurs and indeed for all twenty first century functional managers, such as human resources who need to apply their specialized skill in the context of building brands.

This qualification will address critical topics such as Economics, Logistics, Finance, Organizational Studies, Project Management, Governance, Ethics, Consumer Behaviour, Consumer Insight Research, Corporate Social Investment and Human Resource Management directly relevant to Branding.

This qualification is developed with the desire to:
  • Meet the learning needs and aspirations of individuals through the development of their intellectual abilities and aptitude. Higher education affords individuals opportunities offered for self-fulfilment and societal contribution. It is thus an important vehicle for achieving equity in the distribution of opportunity and achievement among South African citizens. In this qualification - set at an exit level of National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 6 students are enabled to make a meaningful theoretical and practical contribution in the field. Campuses have diverse enrolments and access to this important qualification is thus equitable.
  • Contribute to the socialisation of enlightened, responsible and constructively critical citizens. Higher education encourages the development of a reflective capacity and a willingness to review and renew prevailing ideas, policies and practices based on a commitment to the common good. By ensuring that the qualification attends to African and developmental issues explicitly (rather than the normal tangential approach) this qualification meets this objective significantly.
  • Contribute to the creation, sharing and evaluation of knowledge. Higher education engages in the pursuit of academic scholarship and intellectual inquiry in all fields of human understanding, through research, learning and teaching. This qualification ensures that students develop their own understanding of the theory and its application rather than simply relying on rote repetition of the ideas of others.
  • Provide higher education to students who choose the more occupationally driven learning qualification provided in an environment of small classes and small campuses.
  • Deliver employable students equipped with scarce skills needed to grow the South African Economy. According to the National Scarce Skill list documents (ASGISA-aligned and other) a command of the Marketing disciplines is regarded as a scarce skill set. Even more so the command of marketing skills that are relevant and appropriate for South Africans is a key need within the national development framework.

    This qualification aligns to the principle of social and educational development in South Africa. As quoted in Kotler and Keller, Charles Bymer states that 'brands represent enormously valuable pieces of legal property that can influence consumer behaviour, be bought and sold, and provide the security of sustained future revenues to their owners.' Therefore it is imperative that this qualification integrates an understanding of the critical and creative process required in the branding field, as well as relevant digital skills with economics, finance, management and organization studies, communication skills, and brand strategy. The motivation behind this multidisciplinary approach is to meet the demands of changing industry sectors both locally and globally. Successful brand strategists and leaders not only drive the vision of new and exciting brands or the managing of older brands in new ways, they also require a more holistic understanding of the creative and strategic processes in which brands are constructed and managed, and importantly undertake this in the wider social and economic contexts in which brands exist. Developing young South African minds in this way makes Vega's value to link business profit to adding value to the lives of people.

    The qualification has also been developed in consultation with various structures associated with the Independent Institute of Education (IIE), including discussions with Vega specific regional and national Advisory Councils, many of who hold either academic or industry credentials within the Brand Communications field. The consultation of these stakeholders was to ensure cognisance of global trends in which branding is playing an increasingly significant role in business. It is apparent in many discussions with advertising agencies that marketing companies can improve their brand knowledge and skills and likewise marketing companies feel the same about advertising agencies. Therefore the need for a more vocationally focused qualification that will include considerable practical and significant experiential learning in not only building and managing brands but also in learning some of the metrics to measure the effectiveness of brand management is overdue. This need exists not only in the commercial sector but also in the public, education and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) sectors. The following points illustrate the underlying principles in developing this qualification to meet these needs:
  • Many corporates use the management of their brands as a key strategy driver and not just as a marketing tactic. Managers within the modern business therefore need to understand the power of branding as an intellectual pursuit for company success. In fact there is a global trend to drive brands and branding up the value chain of business - challenging current business models and structures. No current qualification seems to address this perspective on management and brand building.
  • A qualification is needed that provides students with all the traditional solid academic grounding in the theory of management and marketing etc. but that does it in a way that resonates with the newer understandings of the power of brands.
  • It is intended that this qualification will create a new yard stick for brand building and management. It will make critical topics such as Economics, Logistics, Finance, Organizational Studies, Project Management, Governance, Ethics, Consumer Insight Research, CSR/CSI and Human Resource Management directly relevant to Branding.
  • This qualification will provide companies, in all sectors, with innovative, entrepreneurial, self-motivated, skilled individuals who are able to think beyond the traditional and will be capable of building brands within the context of developing economies generally, and African countries specifically.
  • The Innovation and Business Management specialisation subject in this qualification offers an understanding of business from multiple perspectives, and addresses the inherent tensions between managing the financial and human aspects of business within the branding context.
  • There is currently no undergraduate full time qualification at Vega appealing to the more business orientated wisdom with magic thinker - the new breed of communicator who has the understanding and skills to launch, lead and manage brands that create successful businesses.

    The most important stakeholders in this qualification are the students. By ensuring that this qualification is robust and meets (and exceeds) the minimum standards, not only as they apply to industry but to education as well, the students receive a well-rounded education that equips them for the rigours of the industry and makes them attractive to industry and potential employers. The design of the qualification ensures that students will have the option of further studies in a number of fields.

    Other stakeholders that have been considered are the regulators in the form of the Council on Higher Education (CHE), Department of Education (DoE), South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and the Department of Labour (DOL). This qualification was developed taking cognizance of the requirements of the mentioned regulators, ensuring the academic integrity for all stakeholders.

    The applicability of this qualification to meet the needs of all the stakeholders is further underscored by the fact that this qualification provides a very strong experiential learning component. This qualification will therefore not only deliver students to the marketplace with a solid knowledge and theoretical basis but also provide entrants with experiential knowledge and skills. This is somewhat unique as not all providers make provision for experiential learning in three year qualification qualifications. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of prior learning. Vega adheres to the Independent Institute of Education (IIE) Recognition of Prior Learning Policy (IIE10). All RPL submissions are centralised through the Vega Quality Assurance Navigator and sent to the IIE Registrar and Branding Media and Communication Faculty Head for assessment.

    RPL for formal learning: (Credit recognition):
    Students may apply for credits or exemptions for subjects already passed in-house or at other recognised Institutes. The IIE RPL Policy (IIE10) and the IIE Academic Credit Policy (IIE04) guide this process.

    RPL for informal and non-formal learning:
    Skills, knowledge and experience for competencies gained elsewhere, for example in the workplace are also recognised in the RPL process.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum requirement for admission to a Degree is:
  • A National Senior Certificate. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification comprises of compulsory modules at Level 5 and 6 totaling 370 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 245 Credits:
  • Critical Context I, 7 Credits.
  • Persuasive Communication I, 7 Credits.
  • Applied Branding and Marketing I, 7 Credits.
  • Business Communications and Digital Media I, 17 Credits.
  • Economics in Brand Building I, 13 Credits.
  • Innovation and Business Management I, 34 Credits.
  • Ulimi Lwami Studies, 3 Credits.
  • Creative Development I, 34 Credits.
  • Experiential Learning Year 1, 0 Credits.
  • Critical Context II, 7 Credits.
  • Applied Branding and Marketing II, 7 Credits.
  • Persuasive Communication II, 5 Credits.
  • Business Communications and Digital Media II, 10 Credits.
  • Creative Development II, 27 Credits.
  • Economics in Brand Building II (1/2 year), 17 Credits.
  • Corporate Social Investment I (1/2 year), 17 Credits.
  • Innovation and Business Management II, 33 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 125 Credits:
  • Critical Context III, 6 Credits.
  • Applied Branding and Marketing III, 10 Credits.
  • Innovation and Business Management III, 81 Credits.
  • New Media in Brand Building ( year), 14 Credits.
  • Logistics in Brand Building ( year), 14 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Use and integrate functionality between digital software packages for efficient and successful business communications solutions.
    2. Exercise a high level of understanding of persuasive communications and conflict management in the context of brand teams and organisations.
    3. Strategically formulate a marketing plan and brand strategy with a high level of creative, financial and strategic intent.
    4. Undertake marketing research and apply associated theory and methodologies in this disciplinary field.
    5. Apply financial management and accounting tools in brand management.
    6. Apply micro and macro-economic theory to various brand strategies and gain an understanding of how changes in the economy impact on brand management strategies and applications.
    7. Apply an understanding of the global economy and development economics to various organizational and brand decision making.
    8. Apply logistical skills managing and controlling distribution in the brand building and management field from manufacturer to consumer.
    9. Apply a sound knowledge of organisational and management theory and practice to building and managing successful brands.
    10. Accountable for determining, achieving and evaluating both personal and team output in a Brand building and management environment.
    11. Understand and utilise the creative process used to develop a concept or brand solution.
    12. Apply cultural sensitivity and language awareness in the brand communications and management fields.
    13. Apply the skills of critical thinking and analysis to the ethics, politics and social implications of brand building and management in contemporary societies.
    14. Apply a sound understanding of the social, economic and political context of Corporate Social Investment and how to implement it meaningfully in the value chain of a brand.
    15. Identify how emergent developments in ICT/new media are transforming the field of brand communications and management, and create brand stagiest that incorporate these technologies.
    16. Apply leadership and management strategies, as well as diagnostic skills, in a range of communication and brand management contexts.
    17. Equipped to diagnose problems and create appropriate strategic responses to resolve contextual and abstract problems within the field of brand building and management.
    18. Efficiently operate in complex, variable, highly specialised and unpredictable contexts within the broad parameters of Brand Building and Management.
    19. Fully equipped to enter into the Building and Management arena as brand builders, brand managers, brand strategists, and brand leaders. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be assessed in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes.
  • Demonstrate basic visual literacy.
  • Demonstrating an ability to think critically and to challenge established assumptions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principle of persuasive communications.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the different forms of verbal and non-verbal communications.
  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of the definition and application of Branding and Marketing in the marketplace.
  • Be able to I\identity and define basic marketing research tools and processes.
  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of consumer behaviour.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of the self and other in developing creativity.
  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of various skills/mediums in developing creativity.
  • Demonstrate a facility with IsiZulu/IsiXhosa pronunciation and grammar.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between language and culture.
  • Demonstrate sound knowledge of the fundamental principles of business calculations.
  • Demonstrate sound knowledge of the role of accounting and finance in business and branding.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of microeconomics and how an organisation and a brand operate within such a system.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between supply, demand and price.
  • Interpret the consequences and implications of a monopoly or oligopoly in a particular market.
  • Create pricing strategies to capture market share, maximize revenue or capture value.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of non-price competition through product differentiation and branding.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of macroeconomics and how South Africa fits into the global economy.
  • Interpret the meaning and relevance of key economic indicators in South Africa.
  • Interpret the impact of changes in the macroeconomic indicators on the economy and organizations in South Africa.
  • Use computer software to produce efficient business communication tools.
  • Create business information through the use of Microsoft Office.
  • Access information through the Internet and use email.
  • Operate technological aids used for office administration and communication.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the politics of visual representations, within the context of self and other, racial representations, gender and sexuality.
  • Demonstrate and ability to formulate an argument on issues of the politics of visual representations
  • Demonstrate an ability to think critically and challenge established assumptions
  • Demonstrate and understanding of marketing and brand strategies
  • Conduct a situational analysis and develop a relevant brand strategy
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the participles and benefits of effective communication within.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the use of effective communications and conflict management in the context of brand teams and organisations.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the role of finances and financial management in building and managing a brand within the context of a business organization.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of various organizational and management theories.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of organizational behaviour and communications theories.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying philosophies of Corporate Social Investment (CSI).
  • Identify how CSI are structured in dialogue with diverse socio-economic contexts.
  • Demonstrate numerous integration strategies for making CSI a part of the value chain of a brand.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the global economic environment.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the key debates in development economics.
  • Apply knowledge and theoretical content of development economics to case studies.
  • Demonstrate understanding of and respect for diverse creative processes.
  • Demonstrate an ability to respectfully question conceptual thinking and expression.
  • Utilise Adobe Photoshop to generate visual images for efficient and relevant business presentations.
  • Demonstrate advanced proficient in using Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations.
  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of design elements and the use of multimedia elements in brand building and communications.
  • Demonstrate an ability to create efficient and secure Portable Document Format (PDFs) for business communications, particularly in the areas of secure access and mark-up tools.
  • Demonstrate an ability to recognises and understand the ethics of constructing brand messages.
  • Demonstrate and ability to critically place branding within its socio-economic and political context, specifically in terms of ethical questions and social pressure on environmental changes, issues of human rights and marketing to children.
  • Able to develop a brand communications plan.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of successful brand strategies within the wider context of the working in the advertising and marketing industries.
  • Demonstrate and understanding of the logistical process of taking brand products from manufacturer to consumer.
  • Identify various distribution channels and understand the nature of, and solutions to, channel conflict.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the social and cultural relevance of new media and technology.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of new media tools in brand communications.
  • Demonstrate an understanding into how this new media changes the relationship between consumers and producers.
  • Engage in a number of diverse case studies around these issues.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of different leadership and management styles in organisations.
  • Construct a brand vision and value system for an organisation.
  • Demonstrate an ability to construct strategies for organizational development and change.
  • Demonstrate and ability to provide innovate brand strategies and management skills as a member of a brand communications team.
  • Complete a four week internship within the Brand Communications and Management industry.

    Integrated Assessment
    The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd practices an integrated system of assessment, in terms of which students are assessed on an on-going basis. Students are required to write class tests and examinations and do assignments. The results thereof count towards the final mark for each subject. The components of the final mark are determined separately for each subject.

    Assessment Methods and Instruments:
    Need to indicate different assessment instruments for this qualification:
  • Portfolios.
  • Simulations.
  • Written examinations.
  • Practical examinations.
  • Oral examinations.
  • Assignments.
  • Classroom presentations.
  • Participation in group discussions.
  • Mid-term Tests.
  • Class Tests.
  • Case Studies.
  • Practical exercises/demonstrations.
  • Projects.
  • Role Plays.

    Other forms of integrated assessment include:
    Internship:
    The experiential learning component of the qualification includes a formal internship at a brand communications company during the third year of the qualification. Vega's Heads of Year and Relationship Navigators place students for a 4-week period. Formal and informal assessment of the experiential learning takes place by the host company and by Vega. The School has considerable experience in managing such learning.

    Students research the brand communications industry in South Africa (SA) and abroad, through a formal project preceding the internship, to identify strategic groupings and current shifts and trends in industry. The aim is to ensure students gain insight into the nature and dynamics of the industry and to identify the company/agency domains/profiles that they identify with.

    This project assists the Vega Navigators involved in internship decision-making. Over and above consideration of the students' skills and performance, Navigators are able to apply students' personal interests in deciding on a company or agency. A confirmation agreement is entered into between the company hosting the Internship and Vega.

    Internship Learning Outcomes:
  • To experience real world brand and business dynamics in the market place.
  • To be exposed to and apply elective outcomes.
  • To function as a productive member of a team.
  • To demonstrate constructive professional behaviour.

    Brand Challenge (Real life brief):
    Students undertake a Brand Challenge during their second and third year of study. The students are put into 'real-life' campaign teams of 6 to 10 students, combing students across the same year of study from Vega's existing Bachelor of Arts (BA) qualification in Communications Management and the new BA in Brand Building and Management students. The Brand Challenge experience commences with a live brief from a selected client. Heads of Year and relevant lecturers meet with prospective clients to assess the nature, relevance and expected learning outcomes of the brief. If the brief is appropriate to the experiential learning experience (subject outcomes) the brief is agreed upon and a memorandum of understanding is formalized between Vega and the client.

    Students are briefed/informed through a power-point presentation and discussion session conducted by lecturers, on the expected outcomes and systems and procedures involved in Brand Challenges.

    The client delivers the actual briefing to the students. The Brand Challenge is performance managed by Vega Navigators through tutorial and panel feedback sessions before the client presentations take place.

    At the end of the Brand Challenge learning experience students are able to:
  • Interpret a brief.
  • Explore and apply the principles of situational analyses.
  • Develop an accountable objectives.
  • Propose a relevant and differentiated brand positioning.
  • Identify and craft holistic target market and audience profile.
  • Co-develop meaningful creative concepts.
  • Develop accountable and innovative strategic brand/marketing/communication solutions.
  • Function as a productive team member.
  • Construct and present engaging persuasive arguments. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    Internationally the University of Central Lancashire and the Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Charles Sturt University) cover the types of new media used in brand communications and advertising but do not cover organizational theories, economics, finance and brand leadership skills in detail. This qualification aims to integrate an understanding of the creative process required in the branding field, as well as relevant digital skills with economics, finance, management and organization studies, communication skills, and brand strategy. The drive behind this convergence is to meet the demands of changing industry sectors both locally and globally; students entering the job market need to be able to critically reflect on their social surroundings from divergent viewpoints. Successful brand strategists and leaders not only have a vision of building new and exciting brands or managing older brands in new ways, they also require a more holistic understanding of the creative and strategic processes in which brands are built and managed, and importantly the wider social and economic contexts in which brands exist. For this reason a straight comparison with specific qualification programs is not possible. Where possible subjects/modules and sections of the qualification that share similar components with the following local and international institutions have been compared:
  • The BA in Business and Management Studies offered at the Bradford University (School of Management) in United Kingdom (UK) compares favourably.
  • The BA (Honours) Advertising and Marketing Communications, offered at the University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire Business School in United Kingdom (UK) compares favourably.
  • Undergraduate in Marketing offered at Boston University (School of Management) in United State (USA) compares favourably.
  • Bachelor of Arts (Communication - Advertising) offered at Charles Sturt University - Australia compares favourably.

    In general this qualification compares well with its international counterparts; the only differences are the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level structures which make direct comparison difficult. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows both vertical and horizontal articulation:
    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Art (BA) or Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) Degree qualifications that incorporate business, branding, marketing, management and communication modules, at Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Honours in Brand Communications School at Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Business Management, Level 8.
  • Honours in Strategic Marketing Management, Level 8.
  • Honours in Logistics Management, Level 8.
  • Honours in Human Resource Management, Brand Management and Leadership, Organisational Communications, Level 8.
  • Honours in Marketing Communications, Level 8.
  • Honours in New Media Studies and/or Corporate Communications Management Level 8. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS 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.
     
    1. The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd 


    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.