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Appointment of the SAQA Chief Executive Officer designate

The Board of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Joe Samuels (Samuels) as the Chief Executive Officer designate. His appointment will take effect from 01 March 2012.

The decision to appoint Samuels followed a rigorous recruitment process that was initiated in June 2011, following the decision of the current CEO, Mr Samuel Isaacs (Isaacs), to retire at the end of February 2012.

Samuels, currently the Deputy Executive Officer at SAQA, joined SAQA in 1997 as a Director. During that time he led the establishment of the standards setting and quality assurance systems for the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). In April 2005 he was appointed as SAQA’s Deputy Executive Officer where he supported the CEO and the Board during the review of the NQF and the implementation of the NQF Act, 67 of 2008.

Samuels started his career as a teacher in 1982 and later joined the University of the Western Cape where he spent 10 years in the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education before joining SAQA in 1997.

In confirming this appointment, the Chairperson of SAQA, Mr J. J. Njeke, on behalf of the Board stated his confidence in Samuels’ ability to lead SAQA through the transition and to ensure SAQA delivered on its mandate as the oversight organisation for the successful implementation of the NQF.

Isaacs is also very pleased with the appointment as he is of the view that Samuels’ deep understanding of the education, training and development system, SAQA and the NQF, will ensure that SAQA and the NQF will continue to grow from strength to strength under his leadership.