Is it too late for you to apply for an opportunity to study at a university or college in South Africa?
It’s never too late for the Central Application Clearing House (CACH) services created by the Department of Higher Education to offer learners a second chance to gain access to university studies.
In this article, we’ll look at how CACH works and assist you with finding open study opportunities at higher education institutions in South Africa.
Without wasting your time, let’s dive right in.
How it Works & Can Benefit You
CACH is available only for students who were unsuccessful in finding space at universities and colleges in South Africa.
CACH offers a secure way of connecting higher education institutions with potential learners to fill spaces for available courses and other career development opportunities.
They will get your matric certificate information directly from the Department of Basic Education, to ensure accurate data and will find a matching opportunity available for you to apply to further your studies.
Universities still looking to fill spaces for certain courses have the opportunity to login to the CACH platform to share the information with potential students.
And if your application matches the minimum requirements of the course shared by the institution on the CACH platform, you’ll be notified to proceed with your application to the university or college.
In essence, it’s a student-institution matching platform designed to ensure students find spaces elsewhere, when their applications where rejected somewhere.
How to Qualify for CACH?
- You must have completed Matric in 2000 or later
- You must have a NSC/ SC certificate that CACH can successfully download from the Department of Basic Education (DBE)
- You must be planning to study at a University, University of Technology, or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College
How to Apply for CACH Online
First, you need to visit the CACH system online at www.cach.cas.ac.za and click on the “LEARNER SIGN-UP” in the green bar, see screenshot below.
After that, follow these steps to complete your CACH sign-up.
- Click on the wording “Sign-Up Online NOW”
- Enter your South African ID number or passport number if you are a foreign student
- Fill in your personal details and contact details in the following screens.
- Finally, agree to the Terms & Conditions and submit your application.
You’re done, now you wait for your available match.
Check Status Regularly
This is the most important step in finding spaces available in other universities and colleges across the country.
You’d want to regularly check your CACH status by logging in as a learner to get your status. On your dashboard, you’ll find matching results against your matric results information to pursue further studies at other institutions.
When the CACH system operates, higher education institutions will also be searching for students on the platform to fill available spaces, so you don’t want to miss this opportunity – regularly check your status.
CACH Operating Period
The CACH system operates each year from late January until the end of March when universities and colleges are nearly done with intake and getting ready for classes.
It’s currently closed for 2024 and will resume for the next year’s intake, in January 2025.
Cach Contact Details
To find out more information about the CACH system, kindly contact them directly on 0860 690 722 for further assistance. Or try their WhatsApp chatbot number on 078 776 8660.
Alternatively, you may follow them on Facebook (CACH_SA) where they share the latest updates and communications with applicants.