NADEOSA Members

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) www.aimssec.ac.za 

BMT College www.bmtcollege.ac.za

Boston City Campus www.boston.ac.za   

Commonwealth of Learning www.col.org  

Central University of Technology www.cut.ac.za  

The Independent Institute of Education www.iie.ac.za  

IMM Graduate School www.imm.ac.za  

MANCOSA www.mancosa.ac.za  

North-West University www.nwu.ac.za

Saide www.saide.org.za   

SANTS Private Higher Education Institution www.sants.co.za   

STADIO www.stadio.ac.za

University of the Free State www.ufs.ac.za

University of Pretoria https://www.up.ac.za/

University of South Africa  www.unisa.ac.za

Designing and Delivering Distance Education: Revised Nadeosa Quality Criteria

Designing and Delivering Distance Education: Revised Nadeosa Quality Criteria - Case Studies

NADEOSA Conference 2026

  • Conference dates: 20-22 May 2026
  • Venue: University of Free State, Bloemfontein
  • Theme: Future Direction for Quality Open and Flexible Learning in the Global South
  • Sub-themes: 
    • Appropriate use of Technology & AI in higher education
    • Enhancing Equity & Inclusion in the South African higher education system
    • Continuous Professional Development
    • Micro-credentials & OER: Trends and Benefits
    • New QA Framework (standard on modes of learning and teaching
    • Evidence based staff and student support to improve student success 
  • Deadline for Call for abstracts: 20 February 2026
  • Registrations now open!
  • Register here!
  • 2026 Conference Flyer

UPCOMMING WEBINAR: 29 May 2025 Micro-Credentials and Gamification

Previous News

Services

  • Conferences and Workshops

    Nadeosa hosts an annual distance education conference. We also host smaller workshops providing our members an opportunity to engage on matters of mutual interest or concern. In other cases our workshops aim to introduce new concepts or technologies related to distance education.

  • Networks

    Over the years NADEOSA has built-up strong networks of people involved in distance education in South Africa, the rest of Africa and elsewhere in the world.Our members have engaged extensively with regional associations such as Deasa and international distance education organisations such as the Commonwealth of Learning, International Council for Distance Education, European Distance Education Network, Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia. The network has been further strengthened through ongoing interaction with educational institutions providing both distance education and other flexible learning methods.

  • Information Services

    NADEOSA provides members with a regular information service.The following services are available to members:

    • Daily education current awareness service: This news article service has a focus on distance education in Africa and elsewhere in the world, South African education policy and related information, use of technology in education and education technology applications.
    • Document service: This service covers most of the subjects above, but the resources are more substantial than press articles.
    • Conference listing: A conference listing by date of distance education conferences around the world and also more general educational conferences taking place in South Africa.
    • Journal abstract service: Abstracts from educational journals relevant to the NADEOSA community.

Resources

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About Us

Word from the Chairperson

Welcome to the site of the National Association of Distance Education and Open Learning in South Africa (Nadeosa). Nadeosa is a forum for collaboration on Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in South Africa. The association was established in 1996, with the initial aim of promoting access to lifelong learning of high quality. The founding members were unanimous in their belief that distance education methods could play a major role in facing South Africa’s educational challenges. Over the years, this belief has remained constant; the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic has further proven this belief right. The association keeps evolving with the ever-changing landscape of ODL. As an association, we are determined through concerted efforts to lend a voice to practitioners in the field in order to impact practice, and influence policy. Nadeosa is governed by an Executive structure made up of institutional representatives and individuals that are co-opted based on their valuable contributions to the organisation. As an organization committed to promoting access to high quality open and flexible distance education, we offer a variety of services to our membership which are meant to keep the up to date with latest developments in the field. These services include workshops, sharing through annual conferences, and resources and tools relevant for distance education. We invite everyone, including non-members to participate in these services.


Objectives

  • To facilitate collaboration among distance education and open learning organisations in South Africa.
  • To advocate awareness, understanding, and application of distance education and open learning amongst policy makers, practitioners, and learners.
  • To promote research and evaluation of distance education and open learning in South Africa.
  • To exert influence with regard to adequate policy (including financial support) for distance education.
  • To advance the professional interests of distance education practitioners.
  • To promote and enhance quality assurance in distance education.

Aims of the Association

The overarching aim of this Association is to provide a forum for South African organisations and individuals who are committed to increasing access to an affordable, cost-effective and quality learning environment in which learners are empowered to become self sufficient members of society.


Committee

  • Jako Poolman (President)
    Business Management Training College (BMT)
  • Ephraim Mhlanga (Vice-President and Secretariat)
    Saide
  • Jenny Glennie (Treasurer)
    Saide
  • Ruth Aluko
    University of Pretoria
  • Rassie Louw
    North West University
  • Graigg Denver
    Boston
  • Violet Phejane
    University of the Free State
  • Helga Stevens
    Auxilio Distance Education
  • Jeanette Smit
    STADIO Higher Education
  • Frederick Mudavanhu
    North West University
  • Johan Badenhorst
    Central University of Technology
  • Sindile Ngubane
    University of South Africa
  • Kelly Young
    University of South Africa
  • Kiveshnie Naidoo
    MANCOSA
  • Tiana Van Der Merwe
    University of Free State
  • Mario Landman
    Independent Institute of Education (IIE)
  • Mary Ooko
    University of Pretoria
  • Moses Zulu (Secretariat Support)
    Saide

Become a Member

Organisation
Individual

Code of Ethics

This code of ethics designed and adopted by the NADEOSA member council is designed to encourage membership by providing a guide to the values of the organization and to enable members to become part of a positive culture of Distance Education in South Africa.

As a member of the National Association of Distance Education and Open Learning in South Africa, we undertake to promote access to and success in lifelong education and training of good quality. We seek to put learners first, recognizing and building on their knowledge and experiences, and responding to their needs. We will support processes and systems to increase access, mobility and quality in the national system in order to provide an increasing range of learning possibilities, offering learners greater flexibility in choosing what, where, how and at what pace they learn.

As members of NADEOSA we will endeavour to:

  • Promote and enhance quality in distance education and in particular seek to align our programmes with the Nadeosa criteria;

  • Work collaboratively with organizations and individuals involved or interested in distance education methods and/or open learning principles in South Africa;

  • Ensure that we understand and apply distance education methods and open learning principles as policy makers, practitioners and for our learners;

  • Evaluate all aspects our programmes and improve them in line with these findings;

  • Support activities to develop adequate policy (including financial support) for distance education;

  • Advance the professional interests of distance education practitioners; Support professional development for distance education and open learning;

  • Comply with statutory registration and accreditation requirements.