Careers › Education

How to become a Teacher

Teaches in the foundation, intermediate, senior or FET phase.

This needs more than the degree

You need SACE (South African Council for Educators) registration to teach in a school – the B.Ed (or a PGCE after another degree) is what qualifies you to register.

What does a Teacher actually do?

More about this career

Teaches a phase (foundation, intermediate, senior) or specific FET subjects, in public or private schools – the degree (B.Ed, or a PGCE after another degree) determines which phase and subjects you’re qualified for. Beyond the classroom, experienced teachers can move into subject head, deputy principal and principal roles, or curriculum development.

Where this degree can take you

  • Subject Head / HOD
  • School Principal
  • Curriculum Developer
  • Private Tutor

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • English
  • Your teaching subjects at a good level

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 13 of 20 degrees
  • Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 13 of 20 degrees
  • Technical Mathematics – asked for by 2 of 20 degrees
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 1 of 20 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

20 degrees at 16 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Partly verifiedNo cut-off published

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Foundation Phase Studies, Mowbray & Wellington

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • Bachelor’s-level NSC – Achievement rating 4 or better in four subjects (Bachelor’s Degree endorsement).
  • Two languages – At least one official SA language at level 4 and another at level 3; one of them must be CPUT’s language of teaching and learning.

CPUT states Education admission purely through subject/rating rules, not a single APS number.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Central University of Technology

Partly verifiedNo cut-off published

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Humanities · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: 50%
  • Additional SA language – Another official South African language at 50%.
  • Bachelor’s endorsement – NSC with Bachelor’s Degree endorsement required.

CUT did not state a numeric APS for this programme on the page we read. This programme’s figures came through an AI-summarized fetch of the official CUT page rather than a raw read of the page itself - re-verify against cut.ac.za before fully relying on it. No 2027 closing date is stated on CUT’s own pages.

Source: View the official page (cut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Durban University of Technology

Partly verified

BEd Senior Phase & FET Teaching

Arts & Design · 4 years

DUT APS 28 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Specialisation subjects – Subject requirements vary by teaching specialisation, including Technology (Civil/Electrical/Mechanical) - see DUT’s prospectus for the one you want.

Closes 30 September 2026. From DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus. Applications go through the CAO (cao.ac.za), not directly to DUT; general closing date 30 September 2026 (fee R250 SA / R300 international).

Source: View the official page (dut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Rhodes University

BEd Foundation Phase

Education · 4 years

Rhodes points 44 points

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

Rhodes points of 39-43 are considered at the Dean’s discretion; 44 or more receives a provisional offer. We show 44 as the qualifying number so that "you qualify" means exactly that - but you are still worth an application from 39. Rhodes has no Engineering and no MBChB. The NBT is recommended, not required. Life Orientation is not scored, but you need at least 50% in it.

Source: View the official page (ru.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

BEd Foundation Phase

Education · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 60 %

  • Mathematics: 40% OR Mathematical Literacy: 60%
  • Languages – Your language of teaching at Home Language 60%, plus a second language at 50%.

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 125 places each.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Selection programme

BEd Intermediate Phase

Education · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 60 %

  • Mathematics: 40% OR Mathematical Literacy: 60%
  • Languages – Your language of teaching at Home Language 60%, plus a second language at 50%.

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 125 places each.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Tshwane University of Technology

Partly verified

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Humanities · 4 years

TUT APS 25 points

  • English: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Home/First Additional Language – Your other official language at level 4 or 5 depending on which is Home Language.
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)

Closes earlier than most TUT programmes - 31 July 2026. From TUT’s 2027 First-Year Course Information and General Information PDFs. Applications opened 1 April 2026 (fee R240).

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Fort Hare

Partly verified

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Education · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Home language – isiXhosa or Afrikaans (Home Language or First Additional Language) at level 4.

UFH does not state a numeric APS minimum on this programme’s own page, only subject-level requirements. 2027 undergraduate applications: opened 1 May 2026, close 31 October 2026 (from ufh.ac.za/admission).

Source: View the official page (ufh.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

BEd Foundation / Intermediate / Senior-FET Phase

Humanities · 4 years

UKZN APS 28 points out of 48

  • Varies by phase – Subject requirements vary by teaching phase - see the UKZN brochure for the phase you want.

The published APS range is 48-28. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Mpumalanga

Partly verified

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Education · 4 years

UMP APS 26

  • English: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

APS 26 with Mathematics, 27 with Mathematical Literacy. We could not confirm the 2027 application closing date on ump.ac.za itself (only unverified third-party claims).

Source: View the official page (ump.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Pretoria

University of South Africa

Partly verified

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Education

Unisa APS 23 points

  • English: 50%
  • Mathematics: 40% OR Mathematical Literacy: 50%

NSC with Bachelor’s Degree endorsement required. Maximum 10 years to complete. Confirmed current for the 2027 intake: Unisa’s own pages state its 2027 application window as 17 August - 9 October 2026.

Source: View the official page (unisa.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Witwatersrand

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Humanities · 4 years

Wits APS 37 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)

An APS of 31-36 may be wait-listed.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

BEd Intermediate Phase Teaching

Humanities · 4 years

Wits APS 37 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

From an older document

BEd Senior Phase & FET Teaching

Humanities · 4 years

Wits APS 37 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Teaching subjects – Your teaching subjects are compulsory, and Mathematics or Technical Mathematics must be at 65% where relevant.

This figure comes from the Wits schools-liaison Grade 12 guide, which is headed for 2026 entry. We have not yet found a 2027 course-finder page confirming it, so treat it as the most recent official figure rather than a confirmed 2027 one.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Venda

Partly verified

BEd Senior Phase and FET Teaching

Humanities, Social Sciences and Education · 4 years

Univen APS 36

  • English: 50%
  • Two subjects from one elective group – Two of Mathematics/Physical Sciences/Life Sciences at 50%, OR two of Accounting/Business Studies/Economics at 50%, OR two of History/Geography/Sepedi/Tshivenda/Xitsonga at 50% - pick one group.

From Univen’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read (applications opened 1 May 2026) - check the current date on univen.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (univen.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Partly verified

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Humanities, Social Sciences and Education · 4 years

Univen APS 36

  • English: 50%
  • Mathematics: 40% OR Mathematical Literacy: 50%
  • Home language – Tshivenda, Sepedi or Xitsonga at 50%.

From Univen’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read (applications opened 1 May 2026) - check the current date on univen.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (univen.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Zululand

Partly verifiedFrom an older document

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Education · 4 years

UniZulu APS 26 points out of 48

  • isiZulu Home Language – Level 4.
  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)

From UniZulu’s own 2026-labelled faculty handbooks, which contain no 2027-specific intake or closing-date information at all - do not assume a date, and treat this as the most recent official figures available rather than confirmed-current for 2027.

Source: View the official page (unizulu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Vaal University of Technology

Partly verified

BEd Senior Phase & FET Teaching

Human Sciences

VUT APS 22 points

  • Language of Teaching & Learning – At level 4.
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 6 (70% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 3 (40% or more)

APS 22 on the Mathematics route, 24 on the Mathematical Literacy route. From VUT’s 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements PDF. Academic applications close 30 September 2026 (residences 31 October 2026); fee R110.

Source: View the official page (vut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Walter Sisulu University

Partly verified

BEd Foundation Phase Teaching

Education · 4 years

WSU APS 24 points out of 48

  • Life Orientation: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Home language – isiXhosa (Home Language) at level 4.
  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 2 (30% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Any other two subjects totalling at least 8 points on WSU’s scale.

WSU counts Life Orientation as a required teaching subject for Education programmes, unlike most of its other degrees. From WSU’s 2027 Undergraduate Information Brochure & Admission Requirements. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read - check the current date on wsu.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (wsu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every degree above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?