South Africa and Switzerland have signed a Joint Declaration of Cooperation on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), reaffirming their shared intention to enhance the quality and impact of vocational education through stronger public-private collaboration.
The declaration was signed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit to Switzerland from October 29 – 30, 2025.
The visit, described as highly successful, deepened bilateral relations between the two countries and focused on advancing vocational education, strengthening research collaboration, and reinforcing South Africa’s commitment to educational transformation and cultural restitution.
Manamela said the new agreement seeks to deepen Swiss private-sector participation in South Africa’s evolving dual apprenticeship model, which combines structured workplace training with theoretical instruction at TVET colleges.
“This aligns closely with South Africa’s own TVET transformation agenda and efforts to strengthen industry alignment across priority sectors,” he said. “There is room for many more companies, especially in manufacturing, agri-processing, engineering, and pharmaceuticals, to play a bigger role in skills development, both through direct training and curriculum support.”
President Ramaphosa and Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter endorsed the initiative with a joint visit to the Vocational and Further Education Training Centre in Wil-Uzwil, where they observed the Swiss model’s success in bridging the gap between education and employment.
Expanding research cooperation and promoting knowledge sovereignty
Manamela also visited the University of Bern, where he held high-level discussions with university leadership and researchers.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration in public health, environmental science, data ethics, and doctoral training. Special attention was given to deepening partnerships with South African universities that have historically had limited access to international research funding and infrastructure.
The Minister emphasised the importance of protecting research sovereignty in an era where knowledge production is increasingly commercialized. Both countries agreed on the need to defend and grow public research capacity by investing in local innovation ecosystems, co-developing doctoral programs, and generating research that addresses social challenges rather than solely market-driven priorities.
Progress was also made on establishing a proposed South Africa–Switzerland University Forum. The platform will serve as a long-term mechanism for faculty exchange, joint research, and institutional partnerships across academic disciplines, reinforcing the shared commitment to inclusive knowledge creation and sustainable development.
