Students descend to the KZN Region for in-person registration services

The 2026 registration period commenced across Unisa campuses on 7 January 2026, with plentiful students heading to the campuses given the 2025 Grade 12 pass rate achieved by South Africa. The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Region is among the regions that has been witnessing these students requiring assistance with a range of queries and in-person services.

During and after the COVID-19 lockdown, the number of students who visited Unisa service centres plunged as online services were promoted and served as the core of registrations and administration. However, the 2026 registration period has seen a situation similar to the pre-COVID-19 period, with the majority of returning and prospective students visiting Unisa’s offices in-person. For the region, this is further boosted by the national Grade 12 pass rate of 88% and KZN achieving the highest pass rate of all the provinces. The province obtained just over 90% pass rate from over 195,000 learners who wrote Grade 12 examinations in 2025.

Undoubtedly, the province’s higher education sector cannot accommodate all learners who have passed Grade 12. Generally, the demand for access to university education in South Africa has increased dramatically, with more than 900,000 learners having written the Grade 12 examinations in 2025 across the country.

Additionally, the higher education sector in KZN, especially traditional universities, is in no position to enrol more students, as current and previous trends indicate that on average, universities and technical and vocational education and training enrolments will fall far short of the demand for university tuition for the 2026 academic year.

Unisa as a preferred university, and known to enable access to higher education, continuously encourages students to apply for admission when the application period opens to avoid possible space constraints. Prompt application would also ease strain on the Unisa and general higher education system, therefore, also alleviating pressure on the university’s personnel. However, the staff are committed to ensure a seamless registration process through stabilised technical systems.

Most students require assistance with curriculum checks, module selection, credit transfers, application offers, NSFAS appeals and propensity letters. Dedicated teams at KZN regional offices, namely: Newcastle, Richards Bay, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, are persistently doing their best to ensure that no student is left unassisted.     

In the service of humanity, the hardworking Student Administration staff, assisted by other departments in the region, demonstrate dedication and resilience in addressing student queries timeously, allowing both prospective and returning students to finalise their registrations.

Regional Director, Dr Joyce Myeza, commends the Student Administration team led by Brian Dlamini, KZN’s Manager of Student Administration and Finance, for its commitment and dedication shown during this registration period. Myeza appreciates that challenges are addressed promptly by the team, as well as through an innovative, inclusive regional Operational Management Committee meeting that was convened to ensure that registrations run seamlessly across the region.

Regional Student Representative Council members, Andile Ndlela and Sibusiso Mhlongo, who attended the regional operational management meetings, express their support and satisfaction with the region’s innovative approach to resolving challenges related to the 2026 registrations. The same sentiments were expressed by organised labour unions in the region, which are also part of the committee put in place to ensure registrations are carried out without hindrance.

* By Siyabonga Seme, Manager, Communication and Marketing, KwaZulu-Natal Region