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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Business Administration 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
99380  Bachelor of Business Administration 
ORIGINATOR
Chartall Business College 
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 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Generic Management 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  360  Not Applicable  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:
Graduates of this qualification will be equipped with Administration and Management competencies that are generic to all business sectors, as well as with specialist knowledge, skills and values applicable to the particular sector in which they are employed, wish to be employed or in which they have a particular interest. The qualification in addition to generic management and administration learning offers, knowledge and skills in three specialist areas, namely, Property Services, Financial Services and Employee Wellness.

Property Services and Financial Services are highly regulated, vital business areas that are critical to the economic wellbeing and growth of our country. Weak management and poor administration of Real Estate and Financial Service entities coupled with non-compliance with local and national legislation could result in sustainability issues for the entities themselves and negatively affect the financial wellbeing and happiness of individual citizens and the success of businesses across the country.

Good, ethical management and administration practices are non-negotiable in these sectors. Employment in the Property Services and Financial Services sectors are dependent upon the state of the nation's economy and the focus is increasingly on competent, knowledgeable managers and administrators. This qualification will equip graduates with the necessary competencies to play a management and/or administrative role in one of these sectors of choice.

Employee Wellness has become an integral part of Human Resource divisions in many businesses as management realises that staff physical wellness and employees' real and perceived feelings of mental, social and emotional wellness are crucial for staff morale, good inter-personal relations amongst workers and commitment to the organization. All these are essential for successful staff recruitment and retention and concomitantly for organisational success and sustainability. Employee Wellness programmes are increasingly being introduced and offered by businesses, but they need to be as well planned, managed and administered as any other system in the organisation. This qualification will give graduates who choose the Employee Wellness elective, the specialized knowledge and skills to effectively, manage and administer an employee wellness programme.

The qualification offers learners integrated knowledge, theory and principles in both generic management and administration, which are generically applicable in any business venture and specifically applicable to their elective area of study. The qualification strongly links theoretical knowledge with practical application in the workplace, but offers learners a wide variety of theories and practices from which they can draw the most applicable learning for the situation at hand. Students will be equipped with a well-rounded knowledge of appropriate business ethical values related their specific areas of choice and this will support the decisions made and ensure that the most professional options are chosen.

An effective manager and administrator needs good oral, written and electronic media communication skills as they are expected to be able to communicate well with clients, both internally and externally. Unfortunately, many South Africans are particularly weak in this regard, so the qualification offers learning in business communication, enabling learners to use appropriate language and written formats for the different contexts in which they find themselves. They will be able to communicate their ideas in logical arguments using the correct terminology and concepts.

Managers who complete the qualification will become better administrators and likewise administrators will become better managers.

The qualification includes a compulsory Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) component, which enables the learner to conduct elementary research and, most importantly, to have the opportunity to apply the theories, principles and knowledge gained in the formal learning component to a real work situation. Ideally, the research project will involve the identification of a problem in the workplace, the design and execution of research and a presentation to management of practical solutions to solve the problem or mitigate its negative impact. Unemployed learners will be provided with the opportunity to carry out the project in a simulated work environment if they are unable to secure a work placement.

The qualification will equip learners with the necessary generic and sector specific knowledge and skills to effective manage and/or administer the people, the processes, the systems and the structures in the organisations that employ them.

The qualification has been designed to be delivered through distance-learning and technology-enhanced methodology, with a combination of lectures (face-to-face or technology delivered), tutorials (face-to-face or technology delivered), self-study and workplace learning.

Rationale:
South Africa, like all other developing countries, suffers from a skills shortage which results in large-scale unemployment of the under-skilled on one hand and many vacancies for skilled people on the other. The lack of skills also hinders the growth of the South African economy, slows foreign investment and consequently prevents job creation.

A shortage of management and administration skills and competencies have been identified as major causes of high insolvency rates and low sustainability levels of small to medium-sized businesses. One of the keys to sustainable business is the professional management and administration of its people, its systems, its structures (including buildings, office infrastructure, IT networks, and logistics) and its processes together with relevant legislative compliance. Ethical practice and good customer relations are also essential for businesses to attain their visions and missions.

This Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) has been designed to equip administrators and managers with the required knowledge, skills and attitudes to contribute positively to the long-term sustainability of the organisations in which they work, whether they are small to medium concerns or larger corporations.

The qualification is structured from the standpoint that management and administration in every business endeavour are inextricably linked. Every manager is involved in administration (particularly in relation to the staff and the business structures); while every administrator is concerned with the management of processes and systems. It is often difficult to clearly identify where administration ends and management starts. In smaller businesses, administration and management functions may even be carried out by the same person.

From a business sustainability perspective, it is probably unwise to separate the two as the administrator and the manager must work synergistically for the organisation to reach it goals. This BBA qualification, therefore, develops both management and administration competencies as they are essential to both the manager and the administrator.

The Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA), which is the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) recognized body for the short term insurance sector in South Africa, has confirmed the need for a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) of this design and nature in the financial services sector and will include the qualification in its list of approved qualifications for employees in the Insurance sector.

The Financial Planning Institute (FPI), which is the SAQA recognised professional body for the financial planning sector in South Africa, has confirmed the need for a BBA of this design and nature in the Financial Services Sector and will include it in the list of qualifications in the academic component for the awarding of its professional designations requiring a registered level 7 qualification Associate Financial Planner.

The Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa which is the SAQA recognised professional body for the Employee Wellness Sector in South Africa, has confirmed that it will consider using the qualification for the awarding of its professional designation requiring a Level 7 qualification.

Similarly, the Estate Agency Affairs Board has confirmed that they will also support such a qualification in the sector and consider it for inclusion on their exemption matrix for professional recognition. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
RPL is applied according to the College's RPL policy. RPL may be used to grant access to the qualification to learners who do not meet the entry requirements and/or to grant learners credit for modules in which they have demonstrated competence.

Learners over the age of 23 at registration or during the first year of attendance who have attained a Senior Certificate (without endorsement or matriculation exemption) may be granted enrolment at the discretion of the Academic Board. This will be done in accordance with the College's RPL policy.

Entry Requirements:
Learners who meet one of the following requirements may apply for admission to the qualification:
  • A National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting permission to study at Bachelors' Degree Level
    Or
  • A Senior Certificate (SC) with a "B" rating and English as the language of teaching and learning or first additional language.
    Or
  • National Certificate Vocational (NCV), Level 4, granting access to Bachelors' Degree study, but with a minimum of 60% in English (as the language of teaching and learning or first additional language).
    Or
  • A cognate Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC), Level 4.
    Or
  • A cognate Higher Certificate, or Occupational Certificate at Level 5.
    Or
  • A cognate Diploma or Occupational Certificate at NQF Level 6. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    Learners are to:
    1. Complete all the core modules.
    2. Choose one of the specialisations listed below and complete a sufficient selection of the modules prescribed for that specialisation to meet the elective credit requirements.

    Core Modules (Compulsory) Level 5 (12 Credits each):
  • Communication for Business (COM).
  • Principles of Marketing (MKT).
  • Principles of Management (MAN).
  • Principles and practices in Human Resources Management (HRM).
  • Financial Accounting (FIN).
  • Emotional intelligence (EMO).
  • Business Process Management 1 (BPM1).
  • Project Management (PRO).
    Total Credits: 96.

    NQF Level 6 (12 Credits each):
  • Principles and practices of innovation (INO).
  • Administration and Management of IT Systems (ITM).
  • Ethics and compliance (ETH).
  • E-business (EBS).
  • Management Accounting and Cost Accounting (CST).
  • Organisational Psychology (PSY).
  • Business Process Management 2 (BPM2).
  • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
  • Operational Risk Management (ORM).
  • Commercial law (LAW).
  • Management and Administration of Social Networks (NET).
  • Research methodology and statistics (STA).
    Total Credits: 144.

    NQF Level 7:
    There are twenty-four (24) modules, one of which is compulsory (48 Credits). There is one compulsory elective of 12 Credits in each stream and the others are all optional. Learners must select modules totalling at least 120 Credits, where 60 are compulsory and 60 are optional. The modules are:
  • Research Project and WIL 48 Credits - compulsory Property practices.
  • Principles of Property Legislation 12 Credits - compulsory if the property stream is selected.
  • Property Valuations 24 Credits - optional.
  • Property Mathematics and Finance 24 Credits - optional.
  • Residential Property Administration 12 Credits - optional.
  • Commercial Property Administration 12 Credits - optional.
  • Facilities Management and Administration 24 Credits - optional.

    Financial Services:
  • Financial Services Legislation 12 Credits - compulsory if the financial stream is selected.
  • Retail Banking 24 Credits - optional.
  • Retail Financial Services 24 Credits - optional.
  • Marketing Channels and Sales 12 Credits - optional.
  • Product Portfolio Management and Administration 24 Credits - optional.
  • Credit, Risk and Capital Management 24 Credits - optional.

    Employee Wellness:
  • Occupational Health and Hygiene 12 Credits - compulsory if the employee wellness stream is selected.
  • Principles and practices of Employee Wellness 24 Credits - optional.
  • Coaching for good health behaviours 24 Credits - optional.
  • Environmental Health 12 Credits - optional.
  • Management of disability in the workplace 24 Credits - optional.

    Can be taken in any elective stream:
  • Human Resources Provisioning 12 Credits - optional.
  • Small Business Management 12 Credits - optional.

    Total Credits: 120 out of a possible 396. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Communicate work-related information effectively to and external clients orally and in writing and through social media using professional language and concepts appropriate to the audience and context.
    2. Have a wide, well-grounded knowledge of the risks pertaining to a business entity and develop, manage and/or administer processes and systems to reduce their occurrence and/or diminish their negative impact.
    3. Design, manage and/or administer systems, processes and structures to ensure that a business entity is compliant with relevant legislation and regulations and that the staff interacts with clients in a professional and ethical manner.
    4. Manage and administer the financial affairs of a business entity through the selective application of statistics, cost accounting and management accounting theory, principles and practice.
    5. Implement project management theory and practices to manage and/or administer new and/or existing projects and processes ensuring that staff is employed effectively and efficiently.
    6. Understand a business environment and identify opportunities for new ventures or improvements to existing systems, structures and processes, which will increase the sustainability of the organisation.
    7. Conduct minor research into business operations (systems, processes, structures or staff) to identify weaknesses and propose cost effective and workable solutions to improve the situation. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Communicate effectively, both in writing (both digital and paper- based) and orally (both face-to-face and digital).
  • Use body language as a part of effective communication.
  • Master own Emotional Quotient (EQ) for improved communication and relationships.
  • Master the use of the internet to achieve greater communication reach.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Identify key risks facing chosen industry sector.
  • Analyse the risks using agreed risk management principles.
  • Apply acceptable risk management principles to mitigate risks in chosen business sector.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Subscribe to general ethical principles in a chosen industry sector and civil society as a whole.
  • Abide by and uphold the law and Constitution of South Africa.
  • Understand and apply the legislation and regulations of chosen business sector.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Prepare basic financial statements.
  • Analyse financial statements to make business decisions.
  • Control the finances of a business or business unit effectively and efficiently to ensure sustainability and growth.
  • Apply the principles and practices of cost and management accounting to ensure that businesses operate effectively and profitably.
  • Understand international trends that affect costing and know how to apply these to chosen business sector efficiently.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Scope, plan, implement, control and close a project effectively.
  • Implement and maintain effective and efficient business processes for at least one functional area.
  • Implement and maintain efficient and effective enterprise resource planning systems for at least one business function.
  • Evaluate project management trends and best practices and implement, where possible, in chose business sector.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
  • Understand the key functional areas of a business sufficiently to be able to improve systems, processes and structures so as to enhance effectiveness and sustainability and enable growth of profits and employment opportunities (key functional areas are: Marketing, Management, Human Resources, Finance, Production and Information Technology).
  • Apply relevant legislation and regulations to ensure business compliance at all times.
  • Apply and encourage innovation in the workplace.
  • Effectively manage company information systems.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
  • Scope, plan and conduct targeted business research.
  • Use appropriate statistical analysis techniques.
  • Compile an academically sound research proposal.
  • Report on research findings and recommendations orally and in a written format that meets relevant academic standards and that is suitable to the sector in which the research is done.

    Integrated Assessment:
    The educational philosophy motivating the course content, structure and delivery is essentially a holistic one, seeking to equip the student for employment opportunities upon graduation and progressively developing the student's intellectual, creative, technological and perceptual abilities, thereby allowing for increasing competence and independence.

    The following principles:
  • That assessments are valid. They are designed to measure what they intend to measure. Thus an assignment which requires logical deductions is not assessed for creativity.
  • That assessments are reliable. They are not subjective opinions without any relation to standards of quality accepted by a broader educational framework.
  • That assessments are transparent. It is clear how they relate to the aims and learning outcomes of the course and are easily understood by students, staff, external examiners etc.
  • That assessments are diverse. Different abilities require different methods of assessment. An examination, which requires an ability to memorise data, may not be the best vehicle for assessing the ability to synthesize varying ideas.

    Assessment Practices are of three kinds:
  • Formative assessment to give learners feedback on the progress they are making. This feedback takes the form of marking schedules, critiques of student work or written feedback on essays, assignments and projects.
  • Summative assessment to establish what a learner has achieved at the end of each project, module and programme of study. It is used to determine competence in the module outcomes and in the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification as an integrated whole.
  • Research/workplace integrated learning assessment which assesses the learner's ability to:
    > Recognise where and how theory and principles handled, understood and mastered in formal academic learning situations are used in and are applicable to real world business practice.
    > Apply theory and principles in a work situation to improve own and business performance.
    > Carry out minor research projects in the workplace which are aimed at identifying areas in business management and administration which need improvement and designing proposing solutions to solve the problems. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a popular qualification offered in most tertiary institutions worldwide. It is usually offered in the form of a three-year, full-time programme but many institutions offer a distance or e-learning option, which can be taken over a longer period of time.

    Bachelor of Business Administration programmes offer a wide range of subjects/modules, but many have a specific focus which determines a large component of the qualification. For example, the Global Business School (Barcelona) offers four Bachelor of Business Administration programmes with an international focus namely:
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Global Communications.
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Global Management.
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Global Marketing.
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Global Entrepreneurship.
    Each programme consists of 16 core modules grouped under the headings.

    These Bachelor of Business Administration qualifications, irrespective of their specific focus, seem to offer the same basic core component which links administration and management. The common subjects are:
  • Interpersonal and Business Communication.
  • Accounting (Financial Statement Analysis, Cost Accounting and Management Accounting).
  • Business Management.
  • Economics.
  • Elementary Statistics.
  • Business Finance.
  • Human Resources Management and Administration.
  • Ethics.
  • Research.

    The Cambridge University Bachelor of Business Administration, which is offered by The Judge Business School under the banner of Business Studies, consists of the following core modules:
  • Business and Management Economics.
  • Human Resources and Organisations.
  • Operations and Information Systems.
  • Strategy and Marketing.
  • Finance and Accounting.
  • Management Science.

    The Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Real Estate Management which is aimed at administrators working in organisations with property portfolios and those buying and selling property for industrial and investment purposes. It also offers learning and skills to those people wishing to operate as independent property advisors, and consultants.

    The qualification includes the common core components found in most Bachelor of Business Administration programmes such as Accounting, Management Principles and Theory, Ethics and the like. It also includes Real Estate specific modules.

    The Belarusian State University, the oldest university in Belarus, which has been offering Degrees since 1921, offers a Bachelor of Business Administration taught in English. It consists of 40 courses (over 4 years of study). The curriculum includes the following areas of study which make a strong link between administration and management:
  • Strategic Management.
  • Operations Management.
  • Organizational Behavior Management.
  • Human Resource Management.
  • Accounting.
  • Statistics and Law.
  • Finance and Economics.
  • Marketing.

    An important part of the programme is the completion of mini research projects done either individually or in group.

    The Southern Cross University (SCU) in Australia offers a Bachelor of Business Administration comparable in duration and in terms of mode of delivery to this qualification as it is a three-year full-time course offered on-campus or by distance learning or by a combination of both modes. It includes the following modules:
  • Development of Human Resources.
  • Interpersonal Communication.
  • Dealing with Conflict.
  • Staff Development and Training.
  • Industrial Relations.
  • Organisational Communication.
  • Staff Selection and Performance Management.
  • Managing Change.
  • Supervision and Teamwork.
  • Human Resource Management.
  • Contemporary Issues in Accounting Theory.
  • Management Accounting.
  • Financial Information for Decision Making.

    It includes a component of Workplace Integrated Learning.

    The European University, a cross-border European University recognised by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in The Netherlands, the Generalitat of Catalonia (Spain), the Ministry of Education, Portugal, and is the holder of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) chair in entrepreneurship and international business management also offers a Bachelor of Business Administration. It is offered over three years.

    The programme mix also shows similarities to this qualification as it includes:
  • Foundations of Business Management.
  • Writing Communication Skills.
  • Principles of Accounting.
  • Micro and Macro Economics.
  • Business and Society.
  • Oral Communication Skills.
  • Intermediate Accounting.
  • Elementary Statistics.
  • Business Finance.
  • Marketing Management.
  • Human Resources Management.
  • Cross-Cultural Business Issues.
  • Financial Statement Analysis.
  • Strategic Marketing.

    Conclusion:
    The BBA programme exists in many forms and permutations. The qualifications tend to share three characteristics: They are:
  • Degree programmes usually of a three year duration.
  • Offered face-to face or as e-learning.
  • Share common modules that cover both administration and management.
  • Contain ethics.
  • Consist of a wide range of specialisations and subject choices to equip learners for administration in a wide array of career and sectors.

    This Bachelor of Business Administration compares well with the above-mentioned qualifications. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    The qualification offers no specific articulation with qualifications offered by Chartall Business College as this is the first qualification offered by the college in the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) domain. As other qualifications by Chartall Business College are developed and accredited for the HEQSF sub-framework specific articulation pathways will become available.

    Systemic Articulation:
    In terms of the structure of the HEQSF and the Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework (OQSF), this qualification offers the following articulation possibilities:

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelors' Degrees at Level 7.
  • Advanced Diplomas at Level 7.
  • Occupational Certificates at Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Bachelor Degrees at Level 8.
  • Honours Degrees in Administration and Management at Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diplomas at Level 8.
  • Occupational Certificates at 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. Chartall Business College 


    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.