Khulisa Social Solutions is pleased to announce that it has formally received accreditation aligned to the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), paving the way for the rollout of accredited training programmes during the second half of 2026.

This milestone marks a significant step towards strengthening the professionalism, sustainability, and long-term impact of NGOs, community-based organisations, and community development practitioners across South Africa.

The announcement follows an extensive national NGO Training and Accreditation Survey, dialogue circles, organisational assessments, and community engagements conducted by Khulisa in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces.

The findings revealed overwhelming demand for:

· Accredited practical skills programmes,

· Community development qualifications,

· Counselling and psychosocial support training,

· Monitoring and evaluation capacity,

· Governance and compliance strengthening,

· Project management,

· Youth employability pathways,

· And income-generation and entrepreneurship programmes.

The surveys also highlighted that many NGOs continue to face major sustainability challenges linked to:

· Weak governance systems,

· Lack of accredited qualifications,

· Limited monitoring and evaluation capacity,

· Funding readiness challenges,

· And difficulties retaining skilled personnel.

According to Khulisa, the accreditation process creates a pathway for NGOs and community practitioners to move towards more formalised, recognised, and sustainable service delivery models.

Khulisa’s preliminary accreditation framework includes programme pathways linked to:

· Community Development,

· Social Counselling,

· Learning and Development Facilitation,

· Project Management,

· Occupational Health and Safety,

· Workplace Essential Skills,

· Health Promotion,

· and Community Facilitation Systems Support.

The second phase of accreditation is underway and in progress consists of the following Qualifications:

o Life Coach

o Early Childhood Caregiver

o Community Counsellor

o Community Development Facilitator (Drug and Alcohol Abuse Awareness)

o Project Management Facilitator

o Auxiliary Community Development Facilitator

The organisation has also emphasised the importance of practical, workplace-based learning, mentorship, experiential learning opportunities, and community-based training hubs to ensure that learning translates into measurable community impact and sustainable livelihoods.

Lesley Ann van Selm, Founder and Managing Director of Khulisa Social Solutions, said:

“For many years, NGOs have shouldered enormous responsibility in vulnerable communities, often without access to formalised skills pathways, accredited development opportunities, or structured sustainability mechanisms. This accreditation milestone recognises the value of community practitioners and strengthens the quality, consistency, and sustainability of services delivered within communities.”

The organisation further indicated that accredited training will be part of a broader ecosystem-based approach to strengthening local NGO networks, improving governance and accountability, enhancing employability, and creating decentralised community training hubs linked to practical development outcomes.

Khulisa expects to begin engaging municipalities, NGOs, community-based organisations, donor partners, and other stakeholders in early August 2026 to assess interest in participating in the phased rollout of accredited training and organisational strengthening initiatives across various catchment areas.

This communication serves as a preliminary announcement, with further information on programme streams, eligibility criteria, partnerships, implementation sites, and stakeholder participation processes to be provided in the coming months. Khulisa believes this initiative has the potential to contribute significantly towards:

· Formalising community-based service delivery,

· Strengthening NGO ecosystems,

· Improving community employability pathways,

· And building more resilient and sustainable communities nationally.

For further information or expressions of preliminary interest, stakeholders are encouraged to contact Khulisa Social Solutions directly.