IQ Academy (Pty) Ltd

iQ Academy (Pty) Ltd is a private higher education institution that offers short courses and NQF Level 5 higher certificates entirely online. It has operated since 2006 and began as a largely correspondence provider that posted books to students across South Africa. It has since moved to fully online delivery, and no printed materials are supplied. Its head office is at 57A Western Avenue, Vincent, in East London (now KuGompo City), Eastern Cape.

Study is by distance with no campus attendance. Students need a computer, cellphone or tablet, an active email account and about 1GB of data a month, and course materials can be downloaded for offline use. Programmes have no fixed schedules or assessment dates, and enrolment is open throughout the year. Short courses run for about 3 to 6 months. Higher certificates take a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 years, at roughly 10 to 20 hours of study a week. Graduates of the higher certificates attend an in-person graduation ceremony.

The academy's offering is grouped into categories that include business management, bookkeeping and finance, office management, human resources, marketing, information technology, engineering, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, education, legal, design and beauty. Popular short courses include Occupational Health and Safety Management, Office Administration, Logistics and Transportation Management, Early Childhood Development and Construction Management. Qualifications include the Higher Certificate in Local Governance (NQF Level 5, 120 credits, SAQA ID 117727) and higher certificates in business management, human resource management and public administration and management.

Student support is provided through a national call centre and WhatsApp chat, Monday to Thursday 07:00 to 19:00, Friday 07:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 14:00. Fees are paid by interest-free instalment plans (from R440 a month for short courses and from R899 a month for higher certificates) or as a once-off payment, with no registration fee or deposit advertised. Payments can be made by DebiCheck debit order, card, instant EFT or EFT from the student's own bank.

Registration and accreditation. iQ Academy (Company Registration No. 2006/033114/07) is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Higher Education Institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Registration Certificate No. 2012/HE07/001), valid until 31 December 2027. Its qualifications are accredited by the Council on Higher Education and recorded on the NQF by SAQA. Selected programmes carry professional endorsement or CPD recognition from OPSA, SAIOSH, PMSA (Silver-level Recognised Education and Training Provider) and MASA, and SAPICS offers discounted membership to students.