Majuba TVET College is one of the largest public Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions in KwaZulu-Natal, headquartered in Newcastle and serving the Amajuba and Umzinyathi Districts through eight campuses spread across Newcastle, Madadeni, and Dundee. The college operates under the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and specialises in priority skills development for sectors such as iron and steel manufacturing, mining, textile production, cement manufacturing, tyre production, general engineering, and primary agriculture. This article covers the courses on offer, the 2026 application windows, how NSFAS funding applies, and the exact steps required to apply and register.
About Majuba TVET College
Majuba TVET College positions itself as an educational and industrial feeder institution for northern KwaZulu-Natal, aligning its programmes directly with the manufacturing and engineering sectors that dominate the regional economy. As a public institution, the college is recognised by DHET and is registered with NSFAS, which makes its students eligible for government-funded bursaries in the same way as students at any other public TVET college in the country.
The college’s footprint across eight campuses means that course offerings differ from site to site, with the Newcastle Technology Centre serving as the main hub for engineering and technical programmes. Applicants should treat campus selection as tied directly to their chosen course, rather than choosing a campus purely based on convenience.
Campuses at Majuba TVET College
| Campus Area | General Focus |
|---|---|
| Newcastle Technology Centre | Main hub for engineering and technical programmes |
| Newcastle (additional sites) | Business Studies, general NCV and NATED offerings |
| Madadeni | Vocational and community-based programmes |
| Dundee | Vocational and community-based programmes serving Umzinyathi district |
| Other satellite campuses | Occupational and skills-based programmes, artisan trades |
Because Majuba serves two distinct districts, Amajuba and Umzinyathi, campus placement often reflects which district a student resides in, alongside which specific programme they intend to study. Confirming course availability at a specific campus before applying avoids a mismatch between a student’s chosen programme and the site they are assigned to.
Courses Offered at Majuba TVET College
Majuba TVET College offers a broad curriculum spanning the standard TVET qualification streams, along with a strong focus on artisan trades linked to the region’s industrial base.
National Certificate (Vocational) — NCV, Levels 2 to 4: These are full-time, full-year programmes generally requiring a Grade 9 pass for entry at Level 2. NCV programmes at Majuba cover fields including Engineering and Related Design, Electrical Infrastructure Construction, Business Studies, Information Technology, and Hospitality, among other vocational streams depending on the campus. As with NCV programmes at other public colleges, this qualification only accepts new students at the start of the academic year and cannot generally be joined mid-year.
NATED (Report 191), N1 to N6: Majuba’s NATED offering is particularly strong in engineering disciplines, reflecting the college’s alignment with the region’s mining, manufacturing, and steel industries. Occupational and engineering-focused NATED courses generally require a Grade 12 pass, including Mathematics and Physical Science, while entry-level National Certificate (Vocational) programmes require only a Grade 9 pass. NATED runs on a semester structure, which allows the college to offer more than one intake window across the year.
Occupational Qualifications and Artisan Trades: Given the college’s direct links to iron and steel manufacturing, mining, and cement production in the region, Majuba offers occupational qualifications and skills programmes aimed at producing work-ready artisans and technicians. These programmes combine theoretical instruction with hands-on practical training aligned closely to industry needs, and they are designed to move students into employment more directly than the full multi-year NATED pathway.
Across all streams, applicants should expect their course selection to be shaped in part by a compulsory online assessment process, described further below.
Career Guidance and the Learner Profiler
Before selecting a course, every new Majuba applicant is required to complete an online Career Guidance Assessment and a Pre-Entry Placement Test through the Coltech application portal. This process is sometimes referred to as the learner profiler, and it is compulsory for all first-time applicants.
The assessment is designed to guide students toward suitable programmes based on their own responses, and applicants are explicitly advised to complete it themselves rather than having someone else fill it in on their behalf, since the results directly influence which courses become available for selection. For highly quantitative programmes, such as N4 Financial Management, a strong background in Accounting or Mathematics improves an applicant’s standing when campus capacity becomes limited, particularly during high-demand intake periods.
Application Dates for 2026
Majuba TVET College follows a structured application calendar aligned with the DHET academic year, with separate windows for the main first-semester intake and a later second-semester or mid-year opportunity.
The main 2026 application window for first-semester and full-year programmes generally opens around September 2025 and closes in January 2026, with one source confirming applications remained open until 30 November 2025 for NCV and Engineering programmes specifically. Applicants who submit within this window should expect a response from the college before January 2026; those who do not hear back by that point should treat their application as unsuccessful and consider alternative options, including a later intake.
For students who miss the main window, or who decide partway through the year that a TVET pathway suits them better than university, Majuba opens a second-semester or mid-year intake, generally around April 2026, aimed largely at semester-based NATED and occupational programmes rather than full-year NCV courses. This mid-year window is often described as a valuable second opportunity for students who received unsuccessful university applications earlier in the year or who want to move more quickly into a practical, employment-focused qualification.
Beyond these two main windows, the college may also open late applications for selected programmes where space remains available after the main cycle closes. Late admission through this route is not guaranteed and depends entirely on remaining capacity, so applicants relying on a late application should apply as soon as the window opens and confirm details only through official Majuba TVET College communication channels, given how specific programme and campus availability can be at this stage.
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
Majuba TVET College operates a strict zero-paper policy for new applicants, meaning the entire process must be completed digitally through the official Coltech portal rather than in person with physical documents.
- Go to the official application portal. Visit majuba.coltech.co.za and select the option to register a new account.
- Create a profile. Enter a South African ID or passport number, full name, a working email address, and a cell number. Save the resulting username and password securely, since these are needed to log back in and track the application afterward.
- Complete the Career Guidance Assessment and Pre-Entry Placement Test. This step is compulsory and must be completed by the applicant personally, not by a third party, since it shapes which courses become available for selection.
- Select campus, academic year, and course. Choose the correct intake year and the specific campus offering the intended programme, keeping in mind that not every course runs at every one of Majuba’s eight campuses.
- Upload supporting documents in PDF format. Required documents typically include a certified ID copy, the applicant’s latest academic results, and proof of residence. Documents must be freshly certified and uploaded as compressed PDF files; image formats such as JPEGs are automatically rejected by the admissions system.
- Submit the application and monitor its status. After submission, applicants track progress through their online profile rather than visiting a campus in person, since campus security is instructed to redirect walk-in applicants back to the online system.
- Respond to communication from the college. Successful and unsuccessful outcomes, along with any further steps required, are communicated through the applicant’s profile or registered contact details.
Majuba TVET College does not charge any application fee. The college has publicly warned that any request for payment tied to application processing, placement guarantees, or admission “fast-tracking” is fraudulent, and it publishes scam alerts through its official Facebook page and website to help applicants avoid these schemes.
How NSFAS Funding Works at Majuba TVET College
Majuba TVET College is registered on NSFAS’s list of funded TVET colleges, meaning qualifying, NSFAS-approved students pay no tuition at all. NSFAS funding at Majuba covers tuition, prescribed learning materials, transport, a personal-care allowance, and accommodation for students who qualify under the standard eligibility criteria.
To qualify, an applicant needs to be a South African citizen with a combined household income under R350,000 per year, though students who receive a SASSA grant qualify automatically regardless of the income threshold calculation. NSFAS funding is applied for separately from the college application, directly through the official NSFAS platform, generally during an August to November window for the following year’s intake. After applying, the student lists Majuba TVET College and their chosen campus as part of the NSFAS application, and once approved, brings the NSFAS reference number to Majuba’s bursary office at registration to finalise the funding arrangement.
Accommodation allowances under NSFAS are banded according to location, reflecting differing costs of living: students in urban areas generally qualify for a higher accommodation allowance than those in peri-urban or rural areas, with rural allowances set at the lowest tier of the three. Exact rand figures for a given year are confirmed on the student’s official NSFAS admission letter rather than fixed permanently, since allowance amounts are reviewed periodically.
Students who are NSFAS-funded need to upload their NSFAS award confirmation letter to the college’s bursary office as soon as approval comes through, since this step is what allows the college to register the student’s funding status against their enrolment. Students who do not qualify for NSFAS, or who miss the application window, can still enrol as self-funded students, with Majuba offering payment plans as an alternative to a single upfront tuition payment. The college’s Student Services division also assists students in exploring alternative funding routes, including provincial bursaries and employer sponsorship, where NSFAS funding is not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Majuba TVET College charge an application fee? No. The college has confirmed publicly that no application fee is charged, and it treats any request for payment linked to admission or placement as fraudulent.
Can I apply to Majuba TVET College without Grade 12? Yes, for entry-level NCV programmes, which generally require only a Grade 9 pass. NATED and occupational engineering programmes typically require a Grade 12 pass, including Mathematics and Physical Science.
Is NSFAS applied for through the Majuba application portal? No. NSFAS funding is applied for separately through the official NSFAS platform, generally between August and November. The college application is completed independently through the Coltech portal.
Can I still apply if I missed the main 2026 application window? Possibly, through a mid-year second-semester intake or a late application process, both subject to available space. These options are not guaranteed and depend on programme capacity at the time of application.