HAQAA3 contributes to SADC discussions on qualifications frameworks and regional integration
HAQAA3 participated in the first 2026 meeting of the SADC Qualifications Framework (SADCQF) Technical Committee on Certification and Accreditation (TCCA), hosted by the SADC Secretariat and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in Johannesburg. The meeting brought together representatives of SADC Member States, regional bodies and continental initiatives to discuss the future development and implementation of the recently revised SADC Qualifications Framework, including recognition, quality assurance, micro-credentials and regional integration.
The meeting provided an important opportunity to reflect on the growing interconnections between qualifications frameworks, quality assurance, recognition and mobility in African higher education. In this context, two complementary EU-funded continental initiatives supported by the African Union were prominently featured: the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF-II) and HAQAA3.
Representing HAQAA3, Obreal presented updates on the Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (PAQAA) and the African Credit Transfer System (ACTS). The presentation emphasised how quality assurance mechanisms, credit transfer arrangements and recognition practices complement qualifications frameworks by creating the conditions for trust, transparency and comparability across higher education systems.
Together, ACQF and HAQAA3 illustrate the complementary nature of Africa’s higher education integration agenda: qualifications frameworks provide a common language for describing learning achievements, while quality assurance, recognition and credit transfer mechanisms help make those qualifications understandable, trusted and portable across borders.
HAQAA3 welcomes the strong engagement of SADC Member States and looks forward to continued collaboration with qualifications authorities, quality assurance agencies, ministries and higher education institutions across the region as Africa advances towards greater academic mobility, recognition and integration.
