The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act (Act 58 of 1995) initially established the eight-level National Qualifications Framework (NQF). This framework allowed for the registration of unit standard-based qualifications, unit standards, and qualifications not based on unit standards across various levels.
In 2008, the SAQA Act was repealed and replaced by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act (Act 67 of 2008). This new legislation introduced a ten-level NQF, which is organized into three distinct sub-frameworks. Each sub-framework is managed by a quality council responsible for its development and quality assurance.
Each sub-framework has its own policy that outlines the qualification types to be registered at each level of the NQF, ensuring a structured and coherent system for educational and professional qualifications.