Academy For Environmental Leadership SA (Pty) Ltd

The Academy for Environmental Leadership SA (AEL) is a private higher education institution at Uizip on the Orange River, about 25 km upstream of Upington in the Northern Cape. It offers one programme: the one-year, full-time NQF level 5 Higher Certificate in Conservation Ecology (120 credits), combined with personal development and outdoor practical training.

The programme has ten modules: Communication Skills, Introduction to Environmental Legislation, Introduction to Conservation Ecology, Conservation Ecology, Sustainability, Identification of Environmental Threats, Managing Environmental Threats, Data Gathering and Management, Conflict Management and Personal Development. Content draws on biology, ecology, soil science, chemistry, physics, geography, social sciences and environmental law, with laboratory and field work. Practical components include Orange River rowing, a Fieldcraft and Tracking course, First Aid training and an educational tour to the Richtersveld.

The campus sits on a 21 ha farm on the banks of the Orange River in the semi-desert Kalahari region, a site formerly known as the Uizip Outdoor Education Centre. Students live in furnished dormitories with all meals supplied seven days a week. Facilities include a campus laboratory, gym, library, games room, swimming pool, braai area, WiFi and DSTV.

The institution holds DHET registration (Registration No. 2021/HE07/003), is provisionally registered until 31 December 2026, and its qualification is accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education and registered on the NQF by SAQA. Applications for the 2027 intake are open.