• Private education group IIE says they are now offering engineering degrees fully accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa.
• This includes its B.Eng Degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and in Mechanical Engineering. 
• The announcement comes as the Department of Higher Education blocks exam results from 128 private colleges for allegedly dodgy accreditation.

Private college group the Independent Institute of Education (IIE) has announced that it has received full accreditation from the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and is now offering fully accredited engineering degrees.

It says it is the first private tertiary education provider in South Africa to be recognised by the council in this manner.

“All Engineering degrees in South Africa must be offered with the approval of the ECSA. The IIE has been offering ECSA endorsed Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng) degrees since 2018,” it said its announcement sent to Hypertext.

“During the initial development stages and in the first years of offering these degrees, ECSA conducted various site visits and reviews of The IIE’s B.Eng Degrees, to ensure that the qualifications adhere to best practice and to national and international standards for Engineering.”

Now with the latest move, full accreditation has been given to its B.Eng Degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and in Mechanical Engineering. 

“This milestone is truly significant as The IIE becomes the first private higher education institution in Africa to receive full accreditation for Engineering degrees under the international Washington Accord,” says Louise Wiseman, managing director of The IIE’s Varsity College, Vega and IIE MSA.

It comes as the Department of Higher Education and Training blocked 128 private colleges in South Africa from releasing the examination results for specific engineering modules it says unaccredited students had written for at the end of 2024.

While the department and quality assurance board Umalusi say that they are working towards releasing these results, a significant portion of private colleges are still dealing with issues around accreditation.

The IIE is also looking to change legislation with the department to begin calling their many institutions “private universities” as opposed to private tertiary education institution.

“This latest recognition re-affirms that The IIE is uniquely positioned in the private sector to provide the highest quality of academic excellence, while ensuring our qualifications and students are deservedly recognised – in line with their peers in public universities – in the industry and the workplace,” adds Wiseman.