African Academy

About African Academy

African Academy is a private technical training college in Boksburg East Industrial, Gauteng. It was founded in 1994 because South Africa lacked well-trained draughtspersons. Today it describes itself as one of the leading draughting educators on the continent, and it holds accreditation from the South African Qualifications Authority.

The college teaches draughting and design in civil, electrical and mechanical fields. Its courses include piping draughting, structural steelwork detailing and architectural technology. It also offers engineering studies at N4 to N6 level, project management, software training and bridging courses. Students can attend in person, at night, part-time or, for some courses, online.

How African Academy supports students

Many talented school-leavers cannot afford full-time, face-to-face training. Therefore, the academy funds a bursary programme that widens access to its Multi-disciplinary Draughting and Construction and Built Environment courses. Recent bursary calls describe full cover of fees for face-to-face learning. The Multi-disciplinary Draughting N4/N5 course runs for one year, divided into three trimesters.

The academy reports a pass rate and a graduate placement rate above 80%, and it says these figures have held for more than twenty years. Better still, it helps bursary graduates look for work in the draughting and design industry once they finish. That support is valuable in a field where employers value practical skills and strong drawing portfolios.

The college also has industry partnerships. DRA, an engineering group, has publicly spoken about its working relationship with the academy. As a result, students can learn standards that employers actually use. Draughtspersons turn the ideas of engineers and architects into accurate drawings, so mines, factories and construction firms all need them. Careful, detailed work is therefore the heart of this career, and a good course builds those habits from the first week.

What to know before applying

Recent calls say that applicants must be South African citizens with a matric certificate. They also need the engineering subject level required for the course. The full list of entry requirements is on the academy's information sheets, so read it carefully. Closing dates and the number of bursaries change each year, and they are not confirmed here.

Applications for upcoming intakes have been open on the academy's website. The college also holds open days, which give you a chance to see the campus and ask questions. Register ahead of time through the contact details on the website.

The bursary does not appear to cover living costs such as transport or accommodation. Ask the academy what is included. Do not pay any agent for a bursary place, because genuine applications go through the college itself.