Northlink College Online Application for 2027: Courses and How to Apply

Northlink College is taking applications for full-time study in 2027, and the closing date is 30 October 2026. The college, a public TVET college in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, has been replacing its older programmes with occupational qualifications registered with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), while still offering the National Certificate (Vocational) for school leavers from Grade 9.

This guide sets out what Northlink offers, which campus teaches each course, what you need to be accepted, and how the online application works, using the college’s own programme brochure and application guide.

Key dates and contacts

Intake	2027 academic year, full-time
Closing date	30 October 2026
Where to apply	northlink.co.za/apply
Application enquiries	021 970 9090 or assistonline@northlink.co.za
Office hours	Monday to Thursday 07:30 to 16:20, Friday 07:30 to 14:10

Popular programmes, especially the trades and the IT qualifications, can fill up before the deadline, so there is no advantage in waiting until October.

What kind of qualifications Northlink offers

Northlink’s courses fall into a few families, and the difference matters when you choose one:

• Occupational certificates (QCTO). Each one trains you for a named job, such as ICT computer technician or fitness instructor, and combines theory, practical work and workplace experience. They run from ten weeks to four years.
• National Certificate (Vocational), or NCV. A three-year programme from Level 2 to Level 4, certified by Umalusi. It is an alternative to Grades 10 to 12 for learners who want a career-focused school-leaving qualification.
• Artisan trades. Apprenticeship programmes such as electrician, plumber and diesel mechanic, plus trade testing for people who already work in a trade.
• Short skills programmes. Part qualifications such as CNC machining, small appliance repair and solar panel mounting, most of them paid for by the student.

The newer occupational programmes

These are the QCTO occupational certificates Northlink lists as its new programmes. All of them are marked as NSFAS-funded in the college’s brochure.

Programme	NQF level	Length	Campus	Minimum entry
Beauty Therapist	4	1 year	Parow	Grade 11 with Maths Literacy
Cyber Security Analyst	5	1 year	Tygerberg	Grade 12 with 50% Maths Literacy or 40% Maths
ECD Practitioner	4	1 year	Goodwood	Grade 11 and a clear criminal record
Fitness Instructor	4	18 months	Tygerberg	Grade 11 and a fitness test
ICT Computer Technician	5	2 years	Tygerberg	Grade 12 with 50% Maths Literacy or 40% Maths, plus CAT or IT
Internet of Things Developer	4	1 year	Tygerberg	Grade 11 with 40% Maths or 50% Maths Literacy
Panel Beater	4	3 years	Bellville	Grade 9, eligible to register as an apprentice
Solar Photovoltaic Service Technician	5	3 years	Belhar	Grade 9
Vehicle Painter	4	3 years	Bellville	Grade 9, eligible to register as an apprentice

Every applicant must be at least 16. The Panel Beater, Vehicle Painter and Solar PV programmes also need an occupational medical examination before registration, and the ECD programme asks for a police clearance certificate.

Trades and other occupational certificates

Northlink is best known in Cape Town for artisan training. Its apprenticeship-style trades run for three years (four for Millwright), need at least a Grade 9 pass, and are taught at Belhar, Bellville or Wingfield:

• Belhar: Electrician, Plumber, Bricklayer and Carpenter (Carpenter needs Grade 11)
• Bellville: Motor Mechanic, Diesel Mechanic, Boilermaker and Welder
• Wingfield: Fitter and Turner, Mechanical Fitter and Millwright

For these trades you must be able to register as an apprentice with an employer, pass an occupational medical examination, and apply for NSFAS. Hairdresser (three years at Parow, Grade 9 with Maths or Maths Literacy) is also NSFAS-funded.

Some certificates are self-funded, meaning you pay the full fee yourself: Sport Administrator and Sport Management (both need matric, at Tygerberg), the ITEC Beauty Therapist diploma, the PC Technician and Network+ course, and the Performing Arts qualifications.

NCV programmes (Level 2 to 4)

All nine NCV programmes take three years, need a Grade 9 pass, and qualify for NSFAS:

NCV programme	Campus
Engineering and Related Design: Automotive	Bellville
Engineering and Related Design: Fabrication	Bellville
Engineering and Related Design: Fitting and Turning	Wingfield
Finance, Economics and Accounting	Protea
Hospitality	Protea
Office Administration	Protea
Tourism	Protea
Primary Health	Parow
Safety in Society	Parow

Safety in Society, which leads towards the police, traffic, correctional and defence services, has extra conditions: a clear criminal record, a fitness test and a substance screening test.

The course lists above come from Northlink’s most recent programme brochure, published for 2026. The college says more programmes will be added, so confirm that your course is open for the 2027 intake when you select it in the application.

How to apply online

Northlink applications run through its Student Profiler on the college website. New applicants go through four stages:

1. Career guidance. Open northlink.co.za/apply, create your profile and complete the career guidance questions, which point you to courses that suit you.
2. Placement assessment. Log back into your profile and complete the literacy and numeracy assessment and your course selection.
3. Course application. Fill in the online application form for the programme you chose.
4. Documents. Upload each document as a separate PDF into its own tab. Northlink then acknowledges your application by SMS and email.

You can log into your profile on the Northlink website at any time to see the status of your application.

Documents to have ready

• A certified copy of your South African ID, certified no more than three months before you apply
• A certified copy of your latest results, also certified within the last three months
• Proof of address in your own name
• For ECD Practitioner only: a police clearance certificate

The upload tabs take PDF files, so if you photographed a document on your phone, convert it to a PDF before you start.

Paying for your studies: NSFAS and fees

NSFAS funds TVET students from households earning up to R350,000 a year, and most of Northlink’s NCV, trade and new occupational programmes qualify. Northlink does not take NSFAS applications itself; you apply on the NSFAS website. As of mid-September 2026, NSFAS had not yet announced the dates of its 2027 application cycle.

That timing means you should not wait for NSFAS before applying to Northlink. Secure your place at the college by 30 October, then apply for NSFAS as soon as its 2027 window opens. See our guide to checking your NSFAS status with your ID number once you have applied.

If you choose a self-funded course, the fees for vocational and occupational programmes are on the college’s finance page. Registration fees, material fees and upfront deposits are not refundable, so be sure of your course before you pay.

Northlink’s seven campuses

Campus	Address	Phone
Belhar	Proton Street, Belhar	021 952 2113
Bellville	Sackson Street, Bellville South	021 951 2231
Goodwood	Corner of Dirkie Uys and Merriman Streets, Goodwood	021 591 3181
Parow	Connaught Road, Parow Valley	021 931 8238
Protea	80 Voortrekker Road, Bellville	021 946 2250
Tygerberg	Rothschild Boulevard, Panorama	021 524 2200
Wingfield	SAS Navy Base, Jakes Gerwel Drive, Goodwood	021 591 9207

The central office is at 80 Voortrekker Road in Bellville (021 970 9000). Choose your course first and your campus follows, because most programmes are taught at only one campus.

For more about the college itself, including its Centres of Specialisation for artisan trades, read our Northlink College profile.