2027 Intake · Practical Skills, Eastern Cape
Apply to Buffalo City TVET College — practical skills across East London and Mdantsane.
Buffalo City links four campuses across East London and Mdantsane, offering NCV, NATED and occupational programmes across fields from Engineering to Business Studies. Applying is free — here's exactly what you need, and how the college's rolling intake system works.
About the college
Three colleges merged into one, since 2002
Buffalo City TVET College was established in 2002 through the merger of East London College (together with its St Marks Campus), Border Technical College, and John Knox Bokwe Careers College in Mdantsane. The merger brought these formerly separate institutions together under one public college serving the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
Today Buffalo City is one of 50 public TVET colleges in South Africa, delivering vocational qualifications that prepare students for immediate employment and further academic progression at universities. The college's mission is to provide quality vocational education and occupational training to help reduce skills shortages, unemployment, poverty and inequality in the Eastern Cape.
Good to know
Buffalo City doesn't run a single fixed application window — it processes applications on a rolling basis across semester and trimester intakes throughout the year, so a specific programme's window can open and close outside the main September–October period. Always check www.bccollege.co.za or contact the campus for your programme directly for its current status.
Plan ahead
2027 key application dates
Buffalo City's dates shift year to year and by programme — the window below reflects the recent pattern and is a strong planning guide, not a fixed deadline.
New-student applications open
The 2026 cycle's new-student window ran from 1 to 30 September 2025 — a similar September window is a reasonable planning guide for 2027, but always confirm.
Returning-student window
Returning students have recently applied in a separate window the following month — 1 to 31 October in the 2026 cycle.
Trimester & semester intakes
Additional shorter windows open later in the year for specific campuses and programmes — for example, a second-trimester Engineering intake and a second-semester Business Studies intake.
Registration
Confirmed and returning students typically register in January, ahead of the new academic year.
Online, free of charge
How to apply to Buffalo City
Applications are submitted online through the official Buffalo City TVET College website — and applying is completely free.
Before you start
- Decide on your programme, qualification type and campus — the four campuses each specialise differently.
- Gather a certified copy of your ID, your latest school report or Grade 12 results, and proof of residence.
- If applying for Financial Management, make sure you have Grade 12 Accounting or Mathematics results ready.
Submit online
- Go to the Buffalo City online application portal at www.bccollege.co.za and register a student profile.
- Accept the application rules, then capture your biographical information and click "next".
- Capture your academic results, add your subjects individually, then select up to two programme choices.
- Upload certified copies of your ID and latest academic results in PDF format, review your details carefully, then submit.
Understand the options
NCV, NATED, or occupational routes?
NC(V) — National Certificate (Vocational)
Career-oriented programmes offered across Buffalo City's campuses, from Engineering Studies to Business Studies and Tourism.
NATED (Report 191)
Structured N4–N6 programmes generally requiring Grade 12, progressing toward a National Diploma with workplace experience.
Apprenticeships & Learnerships
Workplace-based training routes offered through the King Street Campus, combining structured learning with practical experience.
Pre-Vocational Learning Programmes
Entry-level programmes designed to prepare learners for further vocational study, programme-dependent.
Checklist
Documents you'll need
- Certified copy of your South African ID
- Certified copy of your Grade 12 certificate or latest results (not older than 3 months)
- Certified proof of residence address
- Grade 12 Accounting or Mathematics results, for Financial Management applicants
- Academic record with a college stamp, for rewrite students
Costs
Application fees
Where you could study
Fields of study at a glance
Field
Engineering Studies
Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering NCV and NATED programmes based at the John Knox Bokwe Campus in Mdantsane.
Field
Business Studies
Financial Management, Human Resources Management, Management Assistant and Public Management, offered full-time and part-time.
Field
IT, Tourism & Mechatronics
NCV Information Technology & Computer Sciences, Tourism, and Mechatronics programmes at the East London Campus.
Field
Apprenticeships & Skills Programmes
Workplace-based apprenticeships and learnerships offered through the King Street Campus.
Four campuses, one Buffalo City
Where Buffalo City is based
East London Campus
Lukin Street, Southernwood, East London, 5200 — Business Studies and general programmes.
John Knox Bokwe Campus
Mfaxa Street, N.U. 1, Mdantsane, East London, 5200 — engineering-focused.
St Marks Campus
St Marks Street, Southernwood, East London, 5200.
King Street Campus
17 King Street, Southernwood, East London, 5200 — apprenticeships and skills programmes.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
When do Buffalo City 2027 applications open and close?
Buffalo City doesn't run one single window. In the 2026 cycle, new-student applications opened 1 September 2025 and closed 30 September 2025, with a separate returning-student window from 1 to 31 October 2025. Additional trimester and semester windows open later in the year for specific programmes — for example, a second-trimester Engineering intake that closed 8 March 2025. Confirm the exact date for your programme with Buffalo City directly.
Is there an application fee?
No general application fee is charged. Applicants should have certified copies of their ID, latest academic results and proof of residence ready, converted to PDF, before starting the online application.
What qualifications does Buffalo City offer?
NCV, NATED (Report 191), Apprenticeships, Learnerships, and Pre-Vocational Learning Programmes, across fields including Engineering Studies, Business Studies, Utility Studies, Information Technology and Tourism.
Where is Buffalo City located?
Across four campuses in and around East London, Eastern Cape: East London Campus and St Marks Campus in Southernwood, John Knox Bokwe Campus in Mdantsane, and King Street Campus in Southernwood.
Practical skills for the Eastern Cape start with applying.
Get your documents certified and ready, complete the compulsory placement test, and submit your free Buffalo City TVET College application before your programme's window closes.
Apply to Buffalo City Now →