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SECTION ONE ›› GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1. About the CAO
The Central Applications Office (CAO) is a registered NON-PROFIT COMPANY (Reg.No.2007/002819/08) that is the only organisation authorised to recruit and process applications for admissions to the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Zululand (UNIZULU) and most private colleges in KwaZulu-Natal. Our participating institutions offer 1 438 programmes, and with just ONE APPLICATION, you can apply for up to six programmes at any of our member or partner institutions. You do not have to complete a separate application for each institution. You do not have to pay a separate administration fee to each institution. You only have to pay ONE ADMINISTRATION FEE and your application will be processed and made available to any six institutions to which you applied. When you want to update or change your application to any of the institutions in this Handbook, there is one office to contact.
Discussion and planning for the CAO was initiated in 1993 by the post- school institutions in KwaZulu-Natal. They were: University of Natal (Durban); University of Natal (Pmb); Mangosuthu Technikon; ML Sultan
Technikon; Natal Technikon; University of Durban-Westville; University of South Africa (UNISA); and University of Zululand.
After a number of years of planning, the CAO officially started processing applications in June 1998 for admission in 1999 with a loan of R5m from First National Bank with surety provided by the initiating institutions. The first full-scale operation was launched in 1999 for the 2000 student intake.
The primary goals of the CAO were stated as follows, and are still maintained today:
Student-oriented goals
• To increase the accessibility of tertiary institutions to prospective students
• To reduce the cost of applications by prospective students
Institution-oriented goals
• To effect cost savings to the participating institutions
• To effect increased efficiency for institutions in their student
selection process
Universities (4)
Durban University of Technology (DUT); Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT); University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN); University of Zululand (UNIZULU)
Private Colleges (15)
AAA School of Advertising; Berea College of Technology; Berea Technical College; CTU Training Solutions; Central Technical College; Stadio (Embury); ICESA Education; iStudent; MANCOSA; Management and Leadership Academy; PAX College; Eduvos; Regent Business School; Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology; Varsity College – Business School
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CAO HANDBOOK ENTRY 2025