RPL as a Tool for Transformation: Policy Gaps, Industry Leadership, and Knowledge Harvesting in South African Higher Education

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as a Tool for Transformation in South African Higher Education This paper examines the persistent gap between South Africa’s national RPL policies and their uneven implementation across universities. While national frameworks (SAQA, CHE, DHET) mandate recognition of experiential learning across NQF Levels 2–10, institutional practices remain inconsistent, exclusionary, and discretionary. Drawing on a critical autoethnographic case study, the paper analyses direct correspondence with multiple universities, demonstrating how institutions either categorically exclude RPL (e.g., Stellenbosch, UFS) or implement it weakly (UNISA, UJ, Rhodes). Findings are contextualised within international benchmarks (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, EU) and industry trends (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Tesla), which increasingly prioritise demonstrable skills over formal credentials. The paper contributes three new insights: Industry leadership in research and skills recognition, surpassing universities in setting global benchmarks. Labour export potential for South Africa, where certified English-as-an-Additional-Language teachers and skilled tradespeople could access global labour markets. Knowledge harvesting and archiving, highlighting the risk of losing valuable institutional memory from experienced adults — “living libraries” — who only pursue study late in life. It concludes by recommending the creation of an Umalusi for RPL to enforce consistency nationally, alongside the development of a SmartBridge™ digital platform to manage assessment, moderation, and national tracking of RPL outcomes. Keywords: recognition of prior learning; social justice; lifelong learning; transformation; higher education policy; institutional memory; SmartBridge™.