South Africa's NSFAS cites ICT risk, probes former board member theft

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has identified its information and communications technology (ICT) systems as the organisation's biggest operational risk. Administrator Professor Hlengani Mathebula warned that fragmented, manual and outdated technology is hampering funding administration, payments and student services. He submitted a stabilisation plan to Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela outlining reforms to governance, data integrity, analytics and stakeholder confidence.

In a separate development, NSFAS opened a theft case against a former board member accused of keeping ten laptops meant for under‑resourced schools in the Eastern Cape. The administrator said the alleged misconduct undermines the agency’s mission to support disadvantaged students and expressed confidence that the South African Police Service will secure justice.