A Glimpse of hope at S.A community colleges

Hope and Opportunity Transforming Lives at South Africa’s Community Colleges"

Department of Higher Education and Training says it the Community, Education and Training (CET) centers play an important role towards empowering adults who do not have formal education. Each province has a CET Centre responsible for the management of Community Learning Centres. The Community Learning Centers have replaced what were previously known as ABET centres.

Higher Education Deputy Minister, Doctor Mimmy Gondwe, conducted an outreach program in Mokopane, Limpopo, regarding the importance of these centres.

Doctor Gondwe says these centres are important for rural development.

“It is through initiatives such as this one that we put the spotlight on community colleges. We encourage women that are at home, whether they are young or old, that there is hope for you at a community college regardless of whether you dropped out of school because you fell pregnant. I was doing a panel discussion with some of the young ladies who have actually emerged from the community college and one of them said that she had to drop out of school to look after her mom. However, the community college was a place she could turn to and be able to further her studies and graduate from a TVET. She is currently working,” says Gondwe.

Some women in Sekgakgapeng township say the centers have played an important role in re-shaping their futures. They say that these learning centers, which were previously known as ABET centres, have enabled them to gain knowledge and skills required in various industries.

The women say attending these centers has left them employable.

“The role that CET played in my personal journey was that I gained the standard of being a woman and I also got a chance to study at any TVET college that I wanted to study at. CET helped me to achieve my better future since I failed to achieve goals at an earlier age. CET is most important as we just learn the things that we know and there are other things that we learn that is different,” says one the women.

Department of Higher Education and Training. (2025) Deputy Minister Gondwe highlights role of CET centres in empowering adult learners. [Online] Available at: https://www.dhet.gov.za

CET centres are not merely educational spaces—they are powerful engines of empowerment and rural transformation, offering adults who were once excluded from formal education a second chance to learn, grow, and thrive. As Deputy Minister Dr. Mimmy Gondwe poignantly stated, “There is hope for you at a community college—regardless of your past,” a message that resonates deeply with countless individuals whose lives have been changed through these institutions.

These centres serve as lifelines for women, youth, and caregivers who had to abandon their schooling due to circumstances beyond their control, and now find renewed purpose and opportunity within their communities. To truly unlock their potential, stakeholders must rally behind CET centres—championing them not just as institutions, but as catalysts for inclusive development. Imagine a South Africa where every adult, regardless of background, has access to education and the dignity it brings, beginning with a single classroom in a rural village.

 This vision demands action: policymakers must prioritize funding and visibility, educators must collaborate and share best practices, and communities must spread the word that education is within reach. CET centres are places of hope, healing, and opportunity, and by investing in them, advocating for them, and ensuring no adult is left behind, we uplift not just individuals—but entire communities.

Community Education and Training (CET) centres stand as beacons of hope, proving that education is not bound by age, circumstance, or past setbacks. They offer a second chance to those who once believed their opportunities had passed—empowering women, youth, and adults across South Africa to reclaim their futures with confidence and purpose. Through these centres, we witness the transformative power of learning: stories of resilience, renewed ambition, and lives rebuilt. When we support CET centres, we invest not only in individual growth but in the collective strength of our communities.

Let us continue to nurture these spaces, celebrate their impact, and ensure that every South African—regardless of where they come from—has the chance to learn, to rise, and to contribute to a brighter, more inclusive future.