UMFOLOZI COLLEGE

The College enjoys extensive partnerships with its corporate community in the interest of making education and training available and accessible to its communities.  Partnerships with SETA's make it possible to offer learnership and other development programmes on a regular basis.  For more detailed information download our College Profile including information on the Provincial recapitalisation programme.

• Equitably respect everyone in its service provision
• Honestly and accountably pursue excellence in all activities
• Improve the quality of each individual's life and free each person's potential
• Celebrate the humanity of every learner in our care
• Innovatively and creatively approach changes and trends in education.

College Background

The history of Umfolozi College is inseparably linked to the development of Richards Bay as an export harbour - resulting in a demand for a technical college by 1975.  The business community rallied to make it possible and by 1977 part-time classes had begun.  By 1985 Richtek was fully established and conducting full-time courses.  Over the years that followed, the College expanded both its course offerings and its infrastructure to meet the growing demand for a quality educational facility in the region.  By the new millennium, Richtek had grown exponentially and offered extensive training in the business and engineering disciplines as well as a broad range of skills based training.

The Further Education and Training Act passed by Government in 1998 called for the restructuring and transformation of educational programmes and institutions to better respond to the human resources, economic and development needs of the country.  Technical Colleges, which had formerly been marginalised from the education mainstream were to be positioned to become central instruments for social and economic change and re-construction. 

A merger process was embarked upon in 2001 which saw KwaZulu-Natal’s 24 Technical Colleges transforming into 9 Further Education & Training institutions.  Umfolozi College, based in the heart of Zululand, came into being as a result of the merger of Richtek Technical College, Mandeni College and the former Eshowe Teachers’ College of Education.  In September of 2005 an additional site, formerly the Esikhawini Teachers’ College of Education was awarded to Umfolozi, which now also boasts 8 skills centres delivering skills training in a wide range of disciplines.  The communities served by the College are largely rural in nature and the College has therefore made it a priority to provide training at sites that are accessible to rural dwellers.

The College offers extensive student support, and now manages one of the most advanced Career Centres in the country.

What is FET?

The FET (Further Education and Training) Act of 1998 called for the merger of Technical Colleges country wide to form 50 Further Education and Training Colleges (FETC’s).

KwaZulu-Natal’s former 24 Technical Colleges merged to form nine FETC’s: Coastal KZN; Elangeni; Esayidi; Majuba; Mnambithi; Mthashana; Thekwini; Umgungundlovu; and Umfolozi Colleges.

Umfolozi College was formed as the result of the merger of: Richtek College; Mandeni College and the former Eshowe Teachers’ College of Education. The College now also incorporates the former Esikhawini Teachers’ College of Education bringing its main campuses to a total of four with eight skills centres between them.

The overriding objective of FETC’s is to play a catalytic role in the economic empowerment of people by providing relevant education and training. The merger process ensured that colleges across the country were arranged into manageable groups, making the pursuit of the FET goal infinitely attainable.

Marketing & Communications Department: ndlovub@umfolozicollege.co.za