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What is MQA?
The MQA (Mining Qualifications Authority) is a SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority) who looks after the skills development and training programs for the mining and minerals industry in South Africa.
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BOTI is accredited by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations) as a skills development provider, and is a Level 1 B-BBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) contributor. Plan the training in your Workplace Skills Plan and count it towards your B-BBEE skills development score.
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This guide explains how the Mining Qualifications Authority works as the mining SETA today: its functions, how MQA funding and bursaries work, how learnerships run, and how to get an MQA certificate now that the QCTO certifies the new occupational qualifications. Mining employers planning learnerships or skills programmes for their staff can compare BOTI’s accredited training and qualifications.
The focus of the MQA is to ensure that individuals and companies in the mining and minerals industry have sufficient skills to support employment equity, health and safety, and productivity standards.
The MQA operates as a legal entity which was established as per the Mine Health and Safety Act No 29 of 1996. It is also a registered Sector Education and Training Authority for the mining and minerals industry as per the Skills Development Act.
Since mining is classified as a critical industry within South Africa, the MQA supports the objectives of the Mining Charter in terms of the Minerals and Petroleum Development Act.
The MQA strives to:
- Support transformation in the industry through skills development
- Support decision making for skills development
- Improve and implement core skills development programs that are aligned with the industry qualifications
- Improve the monitoring, evaluation, and review of the delivery of skills development
- Implement an efficient, effective and transparent corporate governance system.
What is the function of MQA?
The MQA is responsible for supporting transformation in the Mining and Minerals industry through the implementation of skills development as outlined by the Skills Development Act. The MQA also supports the broad based-social economic empowerment charter (Mining Charter).
The functions as per the mining charter include:
- Human Resource Development focussed on addressing inequality in the workplace
- Increase the visibility and participation of women in mining
- Empower previously disadvantaged communities
As per SAQA, the function of the MQA is to develop unit standards and qualifications for the mining industry. Under the old system the MQA was approved as an ETQA (Education and Training Quality Assurance) body for the industry; today SETAs, including the MQA, work with the QCTO as Quality Partners under signed service level agreements.
MQA’s core functions include:
- Development of and implementing a Skills Development Plan for the industry
- Develop unit standards and qualifications for the industry as per alignment with the NQF
- Creating, registering, applying, and promoting learnerships and apprenticeships
- Maintain the quality of the unit standards, qualifications and learning courses and,
- Allocate grants from the Skills Development Levy.
MQA accreditation
The MQA also functions as a quality assurance function supported by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations). They therefore have a responsibility to maintain the quality of all training assessments throughout the industry.
For legacy (pre-2009) qualifications, whose MQA accreditation lasts until each qualification’s teach-out ends, criteria are set out for the accreditation of training providers. It also includes the registration of assessors and moderators at MQA.
Providers of the new occupational qualifications, part-qualifications and skills programmes apply directly to the QCTO instead. Under the legacy system, training providers can be divided into two categories:
- An accredited training provider or
- A programme approval provider
Requirements for training providers to be accredited include:
- Being registered as a provider at the time of application
- Has an established and recognised QMS (Quality Management System) in place. This should include relevant quality management policies, quality management procedures and review processes which ensures the quality management policies and procedures.
- Have the necessary assessment process in place which includes registered assessors with the MQA
- Have an applicable moderation system in place which includes registration as a moderator with the MQA
- Have aligned learning materials available
- Has not already been granted accreditation to another ETQA
For the accreditation approval process, all supporting documentation must be submitted by the Training Provider who is applying to be MQA accredited. A provisional accreditation status is granted to new training providers if corrective action should be taken after an audit showed some compliance to the set criteria. Full accreditation is granted once the training provider has met all requirements for full accreditation within 1 year.
Accreditation is only provided if the MQA has confirmed that all accreditation criteria have been met.
Upon successful accreditation, the service provider will receive a certificate from the MQA. The certificate should be clearly displayed on the provider’s premises.
MQA funding
The Skills Development Act and the (SDL) Skills Development Levies Act directs the process for the collection of levies from employers. The overall objective of the Skills Development Act is to provide initiatives to make training more affordable to individuals.
SDL must be paid by employers who have been registered. An employer who has a salary bill of more than R500 000[1] is liable to pay SDL.
1%[1] Of the total amount that is paid in salaries should be paid and the money is collected by SARS.
Once paid, levies are then distributed via MQA. The Skills Development Act also provides the directive on how the funds allocated to each SETA should be spent.
In 2012, the revised Grant Regulations[2] were released in order to regulate the percentages of the funds available for administration costs, regulate the portion of funds available for skills development as well as to improve the information that is received from the workforce through the WSP (Workplace Skills Plan), ATR (Annual Training Report) and PIVOTAL Training Reports. These reports provide important feedback on the skills needs and planning to meet these needs.
The MQA Funding Policy has been compiled in alignment with the Grant Regulations that were published under the Skills Development Act. The purpose of the policy is to provide a framework that can be applied to all MQA funding processes. It will also enable the allocation and distribution of funds based on the skills needs in the industry.
The funding policy support MQA programs which include:
- Administration
- Research
- Learning Programs
- Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Partnerships with stakeholders, communities and entrepreneurs
- Collaboration with public colleges
Employers that are compliant with the Levies Act may claim mandatory grants from MQA granted they have submitted a WSP (Workplace Skills Plan), an ATR (Annual Training Report) and PIVOTAL Training Plan.
Discretionary grants are additional funding that companies can apply for in addition to their mandatory grants. The aim of discretionary grants is to support employed and unemployed learners who enter and complete learning programs.
80% of the Discretionary funds will be utilized for PIVOTAL programs. PIVOTAL programs are learning programs that support an occupational qualification or part qualification on the NQF. Per the MQA funding policy, the funding can be applied for:
- Bursaries
- Work Experience
- Internships which falls under PIVOTAL training in the MQA sector
- Management and Executive Development Programs
- Non-Artisan Learnerships
- Artisan Learnerships
- AET
- OHS Representatives Development
- Other MQA approved Health and Safety Programs
- Foundation Learning Competence
- Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning
- Artisan Aides
- TVET Support
- Candidacy Programme
- Mine Community Development
- Unemployed Youth Development
- Small Scale Mining Programs
A maximum of 20% of the available discretionary funds will be utilised for programs that are considered non-pivotal, as listed in the MQA Funding Policy.
How do you get a SETA learnership?”
The Skills Development Act of 1998 requires the MQA to establish, register, promote and execute learnerships in the mining and minerals sector. A learnership is a structured vocational, education and training program which offers a combination of theory and practical experience in the workplace that leads to an NQF-registered qualification.
The learnership program must:
- Have a structured learning and institutional component
- Be registered with the DHET
- Have a practical on the job experience component to it
- Lead to a qualification on the NQF framework
- Be specific to the occupation and be aligned to the OFO (Organising Framework For Occupations)
A learnership is a great opportunity for matriculants to gain hands-on experience in the industry under the guidance of a mentor. All theory is taught in a classroom setting and tuition costs are covered as part of the learnership programme. A monthly allowance or stipend is also payable to help with some of the student’s expenses.
The learners can gain hands-on experience, workplace experience and skills training within the industry through a fixed-term contract between the learner, the employer, and the training provider. A learnership does not guarantee permanent employment but provides significant and useful experience to the learner.
Funding for learnerships is subject to compliance with the MQA’s criteria for Discretionary Grants funding. Learnerships are funded from the MQA’s discretionary grants, which receive 49.5% of the skills development levy; the 20% share is the mandatory grant[3].
Before a learnership can be registered, there must be an indication that there is a need in the sector. The criteria might include:
- The category of learners who may benefit from the learnership
- Skills needing to be addressed
- Critical need or scarcity of the skills to be addressed
- Estimated cost of the provision of the learnership
- Adequate and relevant workplace learning
- Must have a structured institutional learning component
- Have available accredited training providers
MQA qualifications
Since the MQA is delegated by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations), they are required to maintain the quality of assessments. One of the key objectives is to determine the criteria for the certification of learners and accredited training providers.
Certificates are only provided to learners who have been shown to be competent against a specific qualification or a skills program. For the new occupational qualifications and part-qualifications, the QCTO issues the Occupational Certificate after the external integrated summative assessment (EISA); the MQA process below applies to legacy qualifications. A certificate of accreditation is also provided to the training provider that must be visibly displayed on their premises.
As soon as all the criteria have been met, the MQA management system will alert that a certificate needs to be issued for a specific student. All certificates are generated electronically. The training provider must ensure that the learner’s correct details and correct credits that were obtained are captured in the system.
The maximum turnaround time for certificates/statements of attainments to be ready from the date of approval is 90 working days.
Find a list of accredited providers including a list of qualifications they provide.
MQA bursary
On 3 December 2012[2], the revised Grant Regulations were released, which impacted the allocation of SETA funding.
The MQA bursary scheme’s objective is to increase the number of learners and students who are taking up careers in the mining and minerals sector. The bursary scheme provides an opportunity for learners to study at Higher Education and Training Institutes.
The MQA bursaries support students that have registered and enrolled with universities, TVET colleges, and universities of technology. The bursary covers tuition and registration, accommodation fees, books and stationery, and a toolkit allowance.
Learners who show a strong academic record and a need for financial assistance are legible for funding.
The bursary will continue for every year, subject to a re-assessment by the MQA bursary committee on an annual basis.
Female applicants and applicants with disabilities are given special considerations.
The MQA holds a service obligation agreement. This means that successful candidates must secure employment within the mining and minerals industry for the same amount of years they were supported by a bursary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MQA?
The MQA, or Mining Qualifications Authority, is the SETA for the mining and minerals industry and one of South Africa’s 21 SETAs. It was established under the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 and is registered as a SETA under the Skills Development Act. It plans skills development for the sector, funds learnerships and bursaries, allocates skills levy grants and supports the skills goals of the Mining Charter.
Is the MQA a SETA?
Yes. Although its name does not include ‘SETA’, the Mining Qualifications Authority is the Sector Education and Training Authority for mining and minerals. Like the other 20 SETAs, it receives skills levy funds from employers in its sector, pays mandatory and discretionary grants, funds learnerships and bursaries, and works with the QCTO as a Quality Partner on occupational qualifications for the industry.
How do I get an MQA certificate?
You receive a certificate only once you have been found competent against a qualification or skills programme through an accredited training provider. On legacy MQA qualifications, the provider captures your results and credits, and the certificate or statement of results is generated electronically. On the new occupational qualifications, you complete the external integrated summative assessment (EISA) and the QCTO issues the Occupational Certificate. Check that your provider is accredited for that programme before you enrol.
What does the MQA bursary cover?
The MQA bursary supports students at higher education institutions who are studying towards careers in the mining and minerals sector. It covers tuition and registration, accommodation, books and stationery, and a toolkit allowance. Students need a strong academic record and a financial need, and female applicants and applicants with disabilities receive special consideration. The bursary is reviewed every year, and holders must then work in the industry for as many years as they were funded.
How do mining employers claim MQA grants?
Employers that are registered for and up to date with the Skills Development Levy can claim the mandatory grant, which is 20% of the levy paid[3], by submitting a Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report by 30 April[3], together with the PIVOTAL training plan the MQA requires. Discretionary grants are extra funding employers can apply for to support employed and unemployed learners on programmes such as learnerships, bursaries, internships and artisan development.
To claim MQA mandatory grants, mining employers must submit a Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report by 30 April[3], the documents a skills development facilitator prepares. BOTI’s Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) Training Course runs in-house at your premises, at our venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online. Call 011 882 8853 or email [email protected].
Sources
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Grants Policy 2025/26 – merSETA, 2024.
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.
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