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A SETA learnership is a structured programme that combines study with a training provider and practical work with an employer, and leads to a qualification registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Many learnerships are funded with grants from the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), which is why people call them SETA learnerships, and they count as PIVOTAL programmes because they lead to NQF-registered qualifications.
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Many people searching for the SETA bursary monthly allowance are really asking two things: what a learnership or bursary pays each month, and who decides that amount. This article explains how learnerships work, who pays the allowance, who qualifies and what you receive at the end. Whether you are an employer planning a learnership or a learner comparing options, BOTI’s SETA qualifications show the programmes BOTI offers; check each one’s last date for enrolment on its SAQA record before anyone signs a learnership agreement.
SETA bursary monthly allowance and learnership stipends
How much does a SETA bursary pay per month? There is no single SETA allowance. South Africa has 21 SETAs, each one approves its own discretionary grant policy every year, and on a learnership the employer decides what the learner is paid. So any fixed figure you see quoted may be out of date, or may apply to one SETA, one year or one employer only. Here is how the money works.
Learnership allowance (stipend)
On a learnership, learners usually receive a monthly allowance, often called a stipend, rather than a salary. The law sets a minimum, and the employer decides the final amount, so allowances differ from sector to sector and from employer to employer, just as salaries do. A SETA may subsidise learners’ allowances through its grants to the employer, but the employer sets the amount.
A stipend is not a performance incentive. Many employers cannot pay learners an hourly rate, so the stipend is there to help with costs during the programme, such as food, housing and travel. If an employer offers a stipend instead of a salary, the advert or the interview should make that clear. Ask for the amount in writing before you sign, and check that it covers your real costs: a learner who accepts the minimum without working out travel and living costs can struggle to finish.
Learners with disabilities may need reasonable accommodation, such as accessible venues and equipment or help with transport, especially in rural areas. Ask the employer and the SETA what support the programme includes.
SETA bursary allowance
A SETA bursary is different. It funds full-time study at a public university, university of technology or other public tertiary institution, usually in a field the SETA’s sector needs. SETA bursaries have helped with tuition, accommodation, meals, textbooks and related study costs. Whether part of a bursary is paid to you as a monthly allowance, and how much, depends on that SETA’s bursary policy for the year, and it is set out in your bursary agreement.
The same applies to the Services SETA bursary monthly allowance and to every other SETA: the current bursary call and your agreement are the reliable sources for the amount. If they do not state it, ask the SETA or the institution’s bursary office before you accept.
Who qualifies for a SETA bursary?
Each SETA publishes its own criteria in its bursary call. Calls have commonly asked applicants to be South African citizens, unemployed, aged between 18 and 35 and registered at a public tertiary institution in South Africa, and to show financial need. Documents usually include a completed application form, a certified copy of your ID, proof of registration, the previous year’s academic record and a student account from the institution, sent the way the call instructs.
How SETA learnerships work
A learnership is a work-based programme linked to an occupation, such as office administration or accounting. You spend part of the time learning theory with an accredited training provider and part of it applying what you have learned at the employer, where a mentor supports you. Practising at work what you were taught in the classroom shows quickly what you have understood and what you need to ask about. Learnerships were designed to tackle unemployment, unequal access to education, training and work, and the effect of race, gender and geography on people’s progress.
The length depends on the qualification, and the learnership agreement states the start and end dates.
Who can apply for a learnership?
Learnerships are open to existing employees and to new entrants: people who have finished school, college or university, people studying part-time, and unemployed South Africans where an employer is willing to provide the work experience. You must meet the entry requirements of the qualification the learnership is based on and the employer’s selection criteria. Some programmes ask for a Grade 12 certificate.
What you sign
If you are selected, you sign two documents:
- Learnership agreement: signed by you, the employer and the training provider that delivers the theory. It sets out the rights and duties of all three.
- Employment contract: if you were unemployed, a fixed-term contract with the employer that lasts only for the learnership.
Step by step
- The employer’s workplace is approved for the learnership and meets the pre-registration criteria, and qualified assessors are available, in-house or contracted.
- A training provider accredited for the qualification is chosen. For occupational qualifications, that accreditation comes from the QCTO.
- The employer or provider advertises the learnership, and applicants go through the company’s recruitment process.
- The learner, employer and provider sign the learnership agreement, plus a fixed-term employment contract if the learner was unemployed.
- The learning programme is agreed with the provider. The employer funds the learnership, with the help of a SETA grant where one is approved.
- The provider and employer deliver the learning together, and the learner gets mentoring and feedback.
- Assessors carry out formative and summative assessments. The provider moderates internally and the quality assurance body moderates externally. For occupational qualifications, the final step is an External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA), and the QCTO issues the certificate.
- On completion, the learner receives the qualification. A learner who does not finish receives a statement of results for what was achieved.
After the learnership, the employer may employ the learner or sign them on for a new learnership, and a learner who was unemployed may move to another organisation. Completing a learnership does not guarantee a job, but the qualification, the work experience and the contacts made all count with future employers.
Can a learnership be ended early?
An employer can end a learnership contract if:
- the period stated in the learnership agreement has ended
- the learner and the employer agree in writing to end it or, where they do not agree, the SETA that registered the agreement approves the termination
- the learner is fairly dismissed for a reason related to their conduct or capacity as an employee
Roles and responsibilities
- The SETA registers learnership agreements, promotes learnerships across its sector and at all levels, and may fund them through discretionary grants.
- The learner takes part in induction, completes the theoretical training and the workplace experience, builds a portfolio of evidence for assessment, follows workplace policies and procedures, and works for the employer for the period of the agreement.
- The skills development provider delivers the learning in line with the modules of the qualification and must be accredited for it (by the QCTO for occupational qualifications).
- The employer signs the employment contract, inducts the learner, assigns a mentor for the workplace component, supervises and supports the learner, manages performance, releases the learner for training and assessment, and complies with labour legislation.
Employers who host learnerships need staff who can assess learners and support them at work. BOTI offers the Occupational Skills Programme: Assessment Practitioner (Assessor) – SP-220320 for staff who will assess, and the Occupational Skills Programme: Work Based Learning and Development Practitioner – SP-220322 for staff who support learning in the workplace.
Benefits of a learnership
For the learner
- structured training that the employer funds, sometimes with SETA support
- usually a monthly allowance while you learn
- a nationally recognised qualification and real work experience
- contacts in the workplace that help with future applications
For the employer
- staff trained for the employer’s own work, who make fewer mistakes and need less supervision
- a way to find and close skills gaps
- possible SETA discretionary grant funding, paid only if the application is approved and funds are available
- possible tax allowances (see below)
For the training provider and the sector
SETA funding helps providers run learnership programmes, and working with employers keeps their training practical. The sector gains more skilled, experienced workers.
Tax incentives for employers
Employers may also qualify for a learnership tax allowance from SARS when the learnership agreement is registered with the SETA: one allowance when the learnership starts and another when it is completed. The rules and the period the allowance applies to are set in tax law and can change, so check the current position with SARS or your SETA before you budget for it.
What does a SETA do?
A SETA is a Sector Education and Training Authority. There are 21, each set up under the Skills Development Act of 1998 for one sector of the economy, and all fall under the Department of Higher Education and Training. Their licences run until 31 March 2030. In February 2026 the President announced that the SETAs will be rationalised, and options are expected to go to Cabinet in the 2026/27 financial year.
Under the Skills Development Act, a SETA’s main functions are:
- Sector skills plan: researching its sector and drawing up a plan that shows which skills are in demand and where skills development should focus.
- Learnerships and other learning programmes: promoting and funding them, helping to set up agreements, finding workplaces for practical experience and registering learnership agreements.
- Levy grants: receiving 80% of the Skills Development Levy[1] paid by employers in its sector and paying it out as mandatory grants, discretionary grants and bursaries. The levy is 1% of payroll[2], paid monthly through the South African Revenue Service (SARS), and the other 20% goes to the National Skills Fund[1].
- Quality assurance: working with the QCTO as one of its Quality Partners. Under the old system, each SETA had its own ETQA that accredited providers in its sector. Today the QCTO accredits providers of occupational qualifications, part-qualifications and skills programmes.
- Reporting: as statutory bodies that manage public money, SETAs report to the Department of Higher Education and Training and are governed by the Public Finance Management Act. Under the June 2026 Directive[3], they also report quarterly to the Minister through SAQA on qualification development, provider accreditation and enrolments.
Employers submit their Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report to their SETA by 30 April each year[1]. Employers that qualify receive the mandatory grant, which is 20% of the levy they paid[1].
The NQF and the QCTO
The NQF is the 10-level national system for classifying registered qualifications, overseen by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). It covers school, higher education and occupational qualifications, each run by its own Quality Council: Umalusi, the CHE and the QCTO.
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) manages the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework. It develops and maintains occupational qualifications, accredits skills development providers and assessment centres, runs the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) and issues Occupational Certificates.
Learnerships in Gauteng
Learnerships work the same way in Gauteng as in the rest of the country. Employers in the province advertise their own learnerships, accredited training providers advertise the programmes they run with employers, and the SETA for the employer’s sector registers the agreement. The theory may be taught at a college or training centre, but the practical part always happens on the job.
Each learnership is based on a qualification at a set NQF level. Your achievements are recorded on the National Learners’ Records Database (NLRD), so the qualification can support further study later. Before you sign, check the qualification’s SAQA record for its last date for enrolment, because many older qualifications have closed or have qualification-specific dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the SETA bursary monthly allowance?
There is no single amount that applies to every SETA bursary or learnership. For a learnership, legislation sets a minimum and the employer decides the final figure; for a bursary, the SETA’s bursary policy for that year sets what is covered. Either way, allowances differ from sector to sector and from employer to employer. The advert and the learnership or bursary agreement should state the monthly amount before you sign; if they do not, ask the employer or the SETA running the programme.
Does a SETA learnership pay a monthly stipend?
Usually, yes. Most learners receive a monthly stipend rather than a salary while they learn, because many employers cannot pay an hourly rate. The stipend helps with costs during the programme, such as food, housing and travel, and it is not a performance incentive. SETAs may subsidise these allowances through grants, but the employer sets the amount.
What is the difference between a SETA bursary and a learnership?
A learnership is a work-based programme: you sign a learnership agreement with the employer and the training provider, plus a fixed-term employment contract, and you finish with an NQF-registered qualification. A SETA bursary funds full-time study at a public tertiary institution and usually requires you to be a South African resident aged 18 to 35 who can show financial need.
Who qualifies for a SETA learnership?
Learnerships are open to current employees and new entrants, including people who have finished school, college or university, and unemployed South Africans where an employer is willing to provide the work experience. You must meet the entry requirements of the qualification the learnership is based on and the employer’s selection criteria. Some programmes ask for a Grade 12 certificate.
What do you receive when you complete a learnership?
If you complete all the assignments, projects and assessments, you receive a nationally recognised qualification registered on the NQF. For the newer occupational qualifications, the last step is an External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA), and the QCTO issues an Occupational Certificate. If you do not finish, you receive a statement of results for the parts you achieved.
Employers who host learnerships usually rely on a Skills Development Facilitator to plan them in the Workplace Skills Plan and report on them. BOTI’s Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) Training Course is for staff taking on that role, in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online. Call 011 882 8853 or email [email protected].
Sources
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Directive on the implementation of transitional arrangements for pre-2009 qualifications (Government Gazette 54858) – Minister of Higher Education and Training, 17 June 2026.
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