April 2025
Eligibility for Collective X Initiative
- Employers who have demand for at least ten (10) entry-level ICT roles within their organisations or supply chain. This includes businesses actively seeking to recruit, develop and secure work opportunities for work-ready talent in roles which include, but are not limited to IT support, software development, cybersecurity, data analysis, digital marketing, and related fields.
- Aggregators of Demand (“Aggregators”) Entities who will consolidate, coordinate and manage the sourcing and route to competence training of entry level ICT youth across two or more Employers. This includes industry associations, sector bodies, managed service providers, Training Providers, or other intermediaries.
- The Training Provider plays a critical role in ensuring that beneficiaries are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in entry-level ICT roles. Specifically, the Training Provider is responsible for:
- Co-designing the route to competence in collaboration with the Employer, ensuring that the training pathway is aligned with real workplace demands and job requirements.
- Aligning the training programme to the SFIA (Skills Framework for the Information Age), with a focus on the specific skills and responsibilities required for the identified roles.
- Delivering both foundational training and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), supporting beneficiaries through a blended learning journey that builds practical, job-ready skills.
- The goal is to ensure that each beneficiary achieves SFIA Level 3 proficiency in the selected job-relevant skills, positioning them for successful entry into the ICT workforce.
Employers and Aggregators have flexibility in appointing Training Providers that best meet their needs. They may:
- Use their own internal training department
- Engage a preferred third-party Training Provider with whom they already have an established relationship; or
- Request Collective X to provide a list of pre-vetted Training Providers whose programmes are aligned to the
- Employer’s specific role and skill requirements, including alignment to the SFIA framework.
This ensures that Employers can select a provider that is best positioned to deliver high-quality, role relevant training and work integrated learning.
All Training Providers—whether internal or third party—must complete the following steps to be eligible:
- Onboarding with Collective X, including an institutional due diligence check, conducted with their consent.
- Technical assessment to confirm the Training Provider’s ability to effectively implement the work-integrated learning programme and align it with SFIA standards.
These steps help ensure the quality and consistency of delivery across all participating Training Providers.
Employers, Aggregators, and their selected Training Providers must complete an Institutional and Financial Due Diligence Assessment before participating in the project window.
The assessment includes a review of the following documentation and information:
- CIPC Registration Status: Verification that the entity is formally registered and in good standing with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
- SARS Tax Clearance Certificate: Confirmation of tax compliance through a valid SARS tax clearance certificate.
- BBBEE Certificate or Affidavit: Proof of the entity’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) status.
- Annual Financial Statements & Financial Position Assessment: Review of recent audited or independently reviewed financial statements to assess financial viability and sustainability.
- Experian Credit Score: An assessment of creditworthiness using an up-to-date Experian score.
This due diligence process ensures that all participating organisations meet minimum governance and financial standards and can deliver on their commitments within the project.
When an Aggregator applies, they must first complete the onboarding process with Collective X and submit a consolidated proposal on behalf of the Employers they represent, outlining the total aggregated demand for the entry level ICT roles. This demand must be underpinned by signed commitments from each Employer to participate in the work integrated learning component of the route to competence and absorb them into quality working opportunities.
Once the demand allocation to the Aggregator is approved and communicated, each participating Employer must:
- Onboard with Collective X individually, and
- Undergo an Institutional and Financial Due Diligence Assessment, conducted with the consent of the Employer.
This ensures that all Employers meet the minimum eligibility and compliance requirements and are equipped to support the implementation of work-integrated learning and transition of beneficiaries into quality working opportunities upon completion of their WIL training.
Contracting between Collective X, Employer, Aggregator, and Training Provider
The Employer or Aggregator will contract with Collective X in an Implementation Agreement.
The Employer or Aggregator, and Training Provider must enter into a Service Level Agreement (SLA). This agreement can be structured using either parties preferred format but must include the following: the Collective X rate card to drive common performance results, stipulation of the total cost of the route to competence made up of the foundational training costs, the costs of WIL, and splitting these costs between Collective X’s contribution t and the balance of the Employer contribution.
The SLA must be signed before or on the signature date of the Agreement between Collective X and the Employer or Aggregator.
No, Collective X can prepare the contracts but will require a written commitment from the respective party offering the quality work opportunity before signing the Agreement.
The Training Provider is given two (2) months from the date of the contract being signed between the Employer or Aggregator and Collective X within which they must meet all the requirements for technical endorsement by Collective X (this includes aligning the skills programme to the SFIA framework). Should the Training Provider not meet all the technical due diligence requirements (including SFIA accreditation), milestone payments will be delayed or the contract between the Employer or Aggregator and Collective X may be terminated.
The parties should develop an internal agreement (SLA) that outlines the distinct roles of each unit or department (Employer or Aggregator vs. Training Partner) in which they specify deliverables, timelines, and outcomes for each unit to avoid role confusion and overlapping responsibilities. The SLA should:
- Detail the expectations, standards, and metrics for the training services provided to the Employer segment of the entity.
- Clearly define how costs will be allocated between the Employer and training functions, especially if external funding or tax benefits are involved.
The parties should maintain transparent financial records to demonstrate how resources are shared and used within the entity.
No, an Employer or Aggregator cannot retroactively include beneficiaries enrolled before Collective X formally awarded an allocation.
If beneficiaries were enrolled after the allocation date and meet all compliance criteria, they may be accepted. The agreement would need to include a clause stating that, despite the signature date, the agreement commenced on the date on which the award was formally communicated, with an acknowledgment of those enrolments or services already rendered, which will be considered when determining outcomes.
The contract provides for a staged dispute resolution process aiming to keep this internal as far as possible. The stages include Negotiation (internally), Mediation, and Arbitration.
Collective X will endeavour to support a partner (in whichever role they are engaged) who is experiencing under-performance. However, should a partner show signs that they will achieve substantially lower than the allocation made to them, Collective X will have the right to reduce the allocation and associated funding or terminate the agreement
Route to competence
No, a matric certificate is not required. However, the beneficiary must successfully complete a knowledge assessment aligned with SFIA Level 2, covering at least six relevant skills for the job role they are training for. This assessment must be completed after the foundation training and before enrolling in the work-integrated learning programme.
The programme is open to all demographics, provided applicants meet the beneficiary eligibility criteria. To align with the programme’s transformation and inclusion objectives, the following targets guide beneficiary selection:
- South African citizens only
- Unemployed youth, defined as individuals who are either currently unemployed or have not been in continuous employment for more than six months prior to enrolment on the programme
- Ages 18 to 34 at the time of enrolment
- Target demographic representation:
- Black African: 85%
- Women: 70%
- Persons with disabilities (PWD): 1.5%
- No restrictions on prior education – candidates from all educational backgrounds may apply
- While not a requirement, there is a preference to prioritise youth with prior ICT training to accelerate progression to job readiness and optimise training costs
Foreign nationals, even those with valid permits (e.g., asylum, permanent residency, work, or study permits), are not eligible to participate under the current definition, as the criteria explicitly require South African citizenship.
Individuals who have obtained South African citizenship through naturalization are considered South African citizens under the law and thus meet the eligibility criteria. These individuals must provide valid proof of citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate or a South African ID.
- The Employer and Training Provider should decide which type of programme (learnership, apprenticeship, internship, other) works best for their needs and those of the beneficiaries.
- The programme must however incorporate a suitable duration of work-integrated learning.
- Collective X has adopted the following definition of work-integrated learning from The Routledge International Handbook of Work-Integrated Learning (2023) – An educational approach involving three parties – the learner, educational institution, and an external stakeholder – consisting of authentic work-focused experiences as an intentional component of the curriculum. Learners learn through active engagement in purposeful work tasks, which enables the integration of theory with meaningful practice that is relevant to the learners’ discipline of study and/or professional development.
The programme must include a suitable foundation phase followed by work integrated learning. There is no limit on the overall duration of the programme however it will be regarded as complete once the beneficiary has been successfully assessed as proficient in their six selected skills at SFIA level 3 and has successfully transitioned into a quality working opportunity.
Yes, the training intervention must align with SFIA Level 3 standards. This ensures that the participants develop the appropriate level of responsibility, autonomy, and technical skills necessary for the job role they are being trained for.
Collective X offers comprehensive support to assist Training Providers with SFIA alignment:
- Collective X has published an overview of the SFIA framework on our website for your reference.
- We will host a briefing session with your team to explain the SFIA framework and how it should be applied in this programme.
- After the briefing, you will submit your programme to Skills TX (our SFIA assessment partner) for review and feedback, ensuring your instructional design aligns with the target SFIA outcomes.
- Collective X will facilitate an onboarding session for your team to the Skills TX platform and provide training materials and user guides.
- You will be equipped to conduct baseline skills assessments and assess beneficiaries’ knowledge, and to conduct the final SFIA Level 3 assessment at the end of the work-integrated learning (WIL) programme; the latter which will be verified by Skills TX on a sample basis.
This ensures that Training Providers are well-supported in aligning with SFIA and can effectively measure competencies throughout the programme.
Yes, however the Training Provider will have two (2) months from the date of signature of the Agreement between Collective X and the Employer or Aggregator to have the skills programme accredited by Skills TX. This will be a condition precedent in the Agreement.
You can enrol your first cohort of beneficiaries as soon as all parties have signed the Implementation Agreement; and the SLA with the Training Partner has been signed.
The last cohort of beneficiaries must enrol and start their foundational training before the 31st of October 2025.
Drop offs during Foundational Training
The Employer or Aggregator shall advise the Collective X within 5 (five) business days if the number of beneficiaries on the programme drops below their demand allocation. This will enable Collective X to re-allocate funding to other Programmes.
Drop offs during WIL
The Employer or Aggregator shall advise Collective X on the last day of every month of any beneficiary attrition during WIL.
It is up to the Employer or Aggregator and Training Provider to replace the drop offs, and this is at their own cost; payments are only made per milestone completed. Collective X encourages Training Providers to enrol between 10% and 15% more beneficiaries than your allocation to cater for drop offs.
Employers and Training Providers will be encouraged to compete the training and place these excess beneficiaries in employment or suitable working opportunities but will not receive milestone payments above the allocated amount.
Immediately upon completion of the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) portion of the skills programme, participating employers are required to transition beneficiaries directly into one of the following acceptable forms of work:
Permanent employment of indefinite duration, within the Employers organisation or a partner entity.
Fixed term employment within the Employer’s organisation or a partner entity.
Project-based contract work, where beneficiaries are engaged on defined deliverables for a set period.
Freelance work, provided it is within a structured environment where there is clear, demonstrable market demand for the specific ICT skills and services offered.
In all cases, the employer must provide evidence that:
- The opportunity allows the beneficiary to apply the ICT skills they were trained in.
- The beneficiary can generate income through either a salary or fee-for-service arrangement.
- The level of income is at least commensurate with entry-level ICT roles in the relevant job market.
Where the working opportunity is in the form of employment it is compliant with the BCEA.
This approach ensures that all work opportunities are meaningful, skill-aligned, and financially sustainable.
The Employer, Aggregator, and Training Providers need to do everything within their means to find alternative places of employment or suitable work opportunities for the beneficiaries. Should they not be able to achieve and evidence this within two (2) months of completing WIL they would not be eligible to receive the Employment Milestone payments for beneficiaries not absorbed.
Yes, Employers may choose to contract or employ beneficiaries at any stage of the learning journey — whether during the foundation training phase or upon commencement of the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) phase.
However, to meet the programme’s intent, the terms of employment must ensure that the beneficiary transitions into a suitable and sustainable work opportunity post-WIL. This means the opportunity must enable the beneficiary to continue applying their acquired skills in a real work environment and to earn a sustainable income.
Employers and Aggregators must ensure that stipends or salaries during training are at least equivalent to the national minimum wage. Employers are strongly encouraged to top up this amount to a market-related level that reflects the beneficiary’s growing skill level and performance, particularly during the WIL phase.
This approach ensures that beneficiaries are treated fairly, motivated to perform, and meaningfully integrated into the workforce with a clear pathway to sustainable employment or income-generating opportunities upon completion of their training.
No, a Learnership agreement alone does not qualify as a work opportunity for the purposes of this programme. If the beneficiary is on a 12-month Learnership that includes the six-month Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) phase, this is considered part of the route to competence, not absorption into a quality work opportunity.
To meet the programme’s requirements, beneficiaries must transition immediately after completing the WIL phase into a quality work opportunity. The key condition is that the post-WIL opportunity must be work-based, skill-aligned, and provide sustainable earnings — beyond what is offered under a standard Learnership agreement.
All beneficiaries must be formally contracted through a Tripartite Training Agreement between the Employer, the Training Provider, and the Beneficiary. This agreement must:
- Outline the roles and responsibilities of each party,
- Define the terms of the Skills Programme, including start and end dates,
- Provide for a learning agreement that covers the full duration of the Skills Programme (including both the foundation and WIL phases), and
- Specify the stipend arrangement, with clear evidence that the stipend is at least a market-related amount above the minimum wage during the WIL phase.
An Employer may choose to employ the beneficiary from day one of the route to competence. In such cases, the employment contract must be aligned with and complementary to the learning agreement, ensuring the beneficiary receives both workplace exposure and structured learning support throughout the programme.
The key requirement is that the learning pathway remains central to the agreement, and that the beneficiary is supported to successfully progress through the Skills Programme while receiving fair and transparent remuneration.
The employment contract must also clearly stipulate the transition from the route to competence phase into the quality work opportunity, post WIL.
Collective X may contribute toward the foundation training phase of the Skills Programme. This contribution may support both stipend payments and training costs incurred during this phase for a maximum of two months.
The goal of this support is to ensure that beneficiaries are adequately prepared to achieve SFIA Level 2 proficiency and are well-positioned for success in the subsequent Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) phase.
No, Collective X contributions are not intended to cover the full costs of the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) phase. Instead, they serve as a contribution toward the training costs incurred by the Employer during WIL, including a portion of the stipend.
The Collective X contribution is not fixed and is determined based on a value-for-money assessment of the Skills Programme. This ensures that co-investment decisions are aligned with the quality, scale, and potential impact of each opportunity.
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Employers are responsible for covering any remaining costs associated with the delivery of the WIL phase, including training delivery, supervision, work-based learning support, and any further stipend requirements.
When a beneficiary is formally employed (either on a permanent or fixed-term basis), the Employer is responsible for covering all associated costs including salary or wages, any applicable employment benefits, and costs related to ongoing support or supervision.
However, if the beneficiary is placed into a freelance, project-based, or other suitable self-directed working opportunity, they may be responsible for covering their own operational costs. In such cases, it must be clearly demonstrated that the opportunity is sustainable, that the beneficiary is able to generate income aligned with market rates for entry-level ICT work, and that they are effectively using the skills acquired through the programme.
In both scenarios, the core requirement is that the beneficiary transitions into a viable, skill-aligned, income-generating opportunity upon completion of the Work-Integrated Learning phase.
There are three major milestones upon achievement of which a Collective X contribution will be made. The amount of the contribution will be determined on a case-by-case basis when contracting with the Employer or Aggregator.
- Milestone One – within the first two months of foundational training.
- Milestone Two – achievement of SFIA level 2 for selected skills and enrolment into WIL training.
- Milestone Three – completion of WIL training with SFIA level 3 and transition into employment or sustainable working opportunity.
All milestone contributions are per beneficiary, inclusive of VAT
The Employer or Aggregator is responsible to submit the milestone evidence to Collective X and request payment through an invoice. The Employer or Aggregator will also be the only recipient of the payment from Collective X once all conditions have been met.
When Collective X receives a payment request and supporting evidence, it reviews the evidence for completeness and accuracy.
- If verified, the evidence is sent to an Independent Auditor for assurance.
- If the Auditor confirms the outcomes are achieved, Collective X processes the payment.
- If not, Collective X works with the Employer or Aggregators to address any issues before resubmitting for assurance.
