Services SETA (SSETA)
Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) was established in 2000 in terms of the Skills Development Act of 1998 with the task of disbursing training levies paid by employers. These monies are collected by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) via the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). SSETA identifies required skills and disburses grants accordingly. Services SETA is also responsible for accreditation of qualifications, training providers and for issuing certificates of competency to successful candidates.
Discretionary Grants
Learnerships are formally registered with the Department of Labour and contain both practical (70%) and theoretical (30%) components leading to a full qualification over a period of 12 months. The learner must be in the employ of an estate agency firm with a designated mentor to be able to complete his practical component. The mentor is, usually the principal estate agent. The theoretical component must take place in a classroom normally over a period of days every month, to be defined by the accredited training provider.
Learnership grants take the form of two differing types in the real estate industry. 18.1 and 18.2
Learnership Grant 18.1
This grant can be awarded to a learner who is currently employed as an estate agent and holds a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC). There is no discrimination against any race group. While SSETA does favour black candidates, a company may motivate a non-black application. Black is defined as Black; Black Asian; Black Coloured.
SSETA will either pay the host (estate agency) or the provider (an accredited training provider such as PropAcademy) or the lead generator (recruiting officer) in tranches to the value of R18 000 as a learner progresses through the training. The host agency may claim a tax rebate.
Learnership Grant 18.2
An 18.2 grant can only be issued to an unemployed black person under 35 years of age. SSETA will either pay the host or the provider or the lead generator in tranches to the value of R18 000 as the learner progresses through the training. SSETA also pay the learner a monthly stipend of R1 500 per month over the 12-month learnership period. The host agency may claim a tax rebate.
Tax Rebates
The estate agency that employed the learner as an estate agent in the firm is entitled to claim a tax rebate in the year that the learner is registered through Services SETA and again in the year that the learner exits the programme on the SSETA platform. The rebate per learner is approximately R60 000: R30 000 on entering and R30 000 on exiting. These rebates are deducted from tax due by the firm in that tax year and cannot be rolled over. The rebate amounts differ as SARS tax tables adjust. The claimant’s accountant will complete the necessary SARS documentation.
Unfunded Learnership Grants
Any business that pays Skills Development Levy (SDL) is liable to claim a tax rebate in return for upskilling an employee. As funded learnership bursaries are not always attainable through SSETA, it is possible for an employer (estate agency) to apply online for an unfunded learnership on the SSETA Learner Management Information System (LMIS) platform, using his SDL number for entry. The application requires him to name Online Convenience cc t/a PropAcademy Accreditation number 9981 as the provider. The employer will pay PropAcademy for the cost of course and facilitation. PropAcademy will enter the learners onto the LMIS program and upload the necessary SSETA documentation during the learning process. The employer estate agency’s accountant will apply to SLD for the tax rebates. READ MORE
The Services SETA Unfunded Application Process is an electronic application process, all applications must be submitted online. To make use of the system you will need to first register here.
Please select “employer” from the dropdown menu for user type and select the relevant SDL number.
Once you have completed the registration, please click on the “new application” tab. Please complete the application online and attach all supporting documents, you should then be able to submit the application. Once submitted you will receive an email confirming receipt.
Please note that this process must be followed prior to the start of the learnership or apprenticeship. If the apprenticeship has already started please contact the Services SETA Artisan Unit.
Click to download the LMIS User Manual and the LMIS Process Flow for the Unfunded Module below:
Providers of Learnership Grants
PropAcademy is an accredited training provider to SSETA and is able to effectively deliver learnerships. Most training providers are paid by the host who in turn claims the grant from SSETA.
Further Education and Training: National Qualification Forum Level 4: Real Estate (NQF4)
The NQF4 Real Estate qualification is spread throughout Africa, as well as South Africa. Applicants must have two South African languages (literacy), and mathematics at NQF3 level. The qualification carries 150 South African Qualification Association (SAQA) credits and requires that 30% of the notional 1 500 hours are theory.
Further Education and Training: National Qualification Forum Level 5: Real Estate (NQF5)
Candidates for NQF5 must have a NQF4 Real Estate or equivalent qualification. NQF5 Real Estate carries 130 SAQA credits.
NQF Competency Certificates
Once you have completed your course and your training provider has found you competent, you are placed in a group with other candidates who have also competed their course. This group is then internally moderated by the training provider, meaning that 25% of the group’s files are moderated and found competent. Once completed and loaded onto the SSETA platform, the provider requests a verification date from SSETA who visit their offices and provide a competency report. Ninety days thereafter, SSETA issues the training provider with competency certificates for each learner. Services SETA will only liaise with the training provider, not the learner.
PropAcademy is an accredited Service Provider to SSETA as well as an Accredited RPL Assessment Centre.
Browse our full range of accredited real estate agent courses here.
Estate Agent Courses
CPD Courses
Performance Appraisals CPD Course
Don’t lose sight of the benefits your estate agency will gain from conducting regular performance appraisals with both your agents and employees. They can help foster communication, engage employees and agents, and develop strong performers.
A Quick Guide to Developing a Go-to-Market Strategy
This one-week skill-enhancing course shows you how to create activity and excitement about your products. You will understand how to establish a plan for new product messaging, sales, distribution and success and apply them to your industry.
Navigating Team Dynamics Course
The Guide to Navigating Team Dynamics course is easy to follow and comprises online training videos, discussions and quizzes.
