Education and skills

Navigating disruption, leveraging opportunities

Overview

Who are we?

The right skills are needed to solve South Africa’s socio-economic challenges. The country’s long-term economic growth rate is barely enough to keep up with population growth and will do little to solve our society’s unemployment, poverty and inequality challenges. The Rainbow Nation currently has the highest overall unemployment and youth unemployment rates in the world. According to Statistics South Africa, the country had 730,000 unemployed tertiary-educated graduates at the start of 2022. Job losses suffered during COVID-19 did not have a significant impact on this number: the number of unemployed graduates has been steadily increasing over the past decade.  

In its 2020 Global Social Mobility report, the WEF ranked 82 countries according to five key metrics: healthcare, education, technology, work opportunities, and social protection. The WEF placed South Africa 77th overall and 80th for access, equity and quality of education. According to this report, it will take nine generations for a South African born into a poor family to reach the country’s median income. 

Against this backdrop, PwC’s Education Industry Group serves as a group of solvers, innovating solutions to assist the sector to turn the dial on these metrics. From advisory, assurance to tax solutions, PwC is committed to bringing you solutions relevant to the education sector. 

 

Student learning about coding.

How we can add value

With both local and global investment in the education sector. PwC is one of the most distinguished higher education practices in South Africa. Providing advisory, assurance and tax solutions tailored to the education sector, PwC sets itself apart from other consulting and auditing firms.

Some of our education-tailored solutions include:

Emerging technologies for Education

Our EdTech teams are constantly looking at leveraging technology for teaching and learning, and enhancing the student experience. We work with education institutions to explore these technologies safely and cost-effectively, allowing you to find suitable use cases, scale successful applications and keeping your institution relevant and at the edge of new developments.

 

Curriculum transformation

Curriculum transformation for higher education and corporate academies’ - Higher education is one of the last building blocks in preparing students for the labour market, yet in most cases it provides only a fraction of the skills needed in the workplace. Our curriculum transformation offering was developed after studying more than 20 higher education systems. It reimagines the higher education experience, seeking to develop graduates and learners with the skills needed for the future of work…today.

Learn more about our Curriculum transformation services here.

 

 

The PwC Integrated Education Management Solution (IEMS)

Designed and developed by PwC, our IEMS solution is an end-to-end solution designed and built specifically for the education sector:

  • A solution built for education, that lays the foundation and can grow with you.
  • A solution delivered by experienced individuals that understand your future will be built on more than just the right technology.
  • A solution that is fit-for-purpose in a developing economy and offers you value for money.

Learn more about the Integrated Education Management Solution Service here.

 

Culture and change

Our VC survey respondents indicate that organisational culture is one of the most significant barriers to change. Our organisational change approach can help you traverse this terrain.

Perform for Education

After 10 years of successful implementation in the corporate world, PwC has adapted this unique offering to the education sector. Perform for Education aims to embed new ways of working, enhancing team collaboration, support and effectiveness for enhanced student outcomes.

Tax

PwC is part of the Tax Task Team established by members of Public Universities in South Africa.

The mandate of the Tax Task team is to identify and manage tax risks in the Higher Education sector.

Our shared knowledge and understanding of the issues and challenges that Higher Education institutions face, regular engagement with the South African Revenue Service and National Treasury enable us to provide high-quality and efficient tax consulting services, with valuable insights on relevant issues.


Worried about your audit, risk and compliance matters? PwC has you covered. We have audited a majority of the universities in the country, PwC has a deep understanding of the sector’s accounting and auditing landscape.

Our forensic teams assist institutions both with proactive forensic strategies as well as investigative work.

Our tax teams assist with VAT apportionments, carbon tax matters as well as a range of other tax matters specific to education institutions.

 

We are the only professional services firm with a dedicated education industry group that adds value to universities, TVET colleges, schools and other educational institutions.

Save the date: PwC Education Conference 2024

Celebrating 30 years!

Date: Monday, 2 September - Tuesday, 3 September 2024
Venue: Century City Convention Centre, Cape Town
Cost: R5,250 per delegate, excluding VAT

It's our 30th Anniversary! We would like to thank you for being part of our journey of bringing together education sector leaders, senior executives, key stakeholders and industry leaders at our annual Education Conference.

Once again, it is PwC’s honour to host our annual Education Conference, as part of our ongoing commitment to the education sector over several decades.

Join our in-person conference and be part of the conversation about the future of education as we explore the latest perspectives in the sector. It promises to be another thought-provoking and insightful event as we celebrate our 30th anniversary.

Register here if you are interested in receiving the invite for 2024 Education Conference.


Innovative technology

Since 1993, we have hosted a Higher Education Conference where strategic and technical role players in the sector share thoughts and debate matters of importance to the education industry. Vice-chancellors, faculty members, teachers, representatives of the Department of Higher Educations and Training, the Auditor General, international education experts and various other stakeholders have participated in the conference over the last 28 years.This remains a valuable forum for all education institutions and we view it as an important part of our ongoing support to the sector.

 Explore more about PwC's Annual Education Conference events here

 

We have an unsurpassed footprint in the education industry in South Africa. Our annual conference connects role players and our thought leadership elicit debate in the industry.

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Contact us

Roshan  Ramdhany

Roshan Ramdhany

Director, PwC South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 83 246 2612

Thaaniya Isaacs

Thaaniya Isaacs

Director, PwC South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 83 253 6948

Ginelle Beelders

Ginelle Beelders

Director, PwC South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 21 529 2201

Annemarié Janse Van Rensburg

Annemarié Janse Van Rensburg

Director, PwC South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 21 529 2810

Anisha Vittee

Anisha Vittee

Senior Manager, PwC South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 11 797 4838

Quintin Hawes

Quintin Hawes

Senior Manager, PwC South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 21 529 2000

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