Engineering Council of South Africa
To ensure, through a cooperative process of quality assurance, that persons wishing to enter the profession are educated and trained according to widely accepted standards, so as to be able to render a professional service for the benefit of the public and the country as a whole

ECSA sees itself in partnership with the State and the engineering profession to promote a high level of education and training of practitioners in the engineering profession so as to facilitate full recognition of professionalism in the engineering profession, both locally and abroad. It enjoys full autonomy although it is accountable to the State, the profession and the public for the fair and transparent administration of its business in the pursuit of its goals.

However, in pursuing this goal, ECSA has an implied responsibility to ensure that the interests of the profession (the practitioners) are also promoted. The interest of the public and the country can only be served properly if a profession is healthy and strong. For this reason ECSA promotes the well-being of the voluntary societies who are active in engineering. Since the societies are the instruments through which the interests of the practitioners are served, a good balance between "public interests" (ECSA) and "own interests" (Societies) should be maintained.
  • Setting and auditing of academic standards for purposes of registration through a process of accreditation of engineering programmes at universities and technikons


  • Setting and auditing of professional development standards through the provision of guidelines which set out ECSA's post-qualification requirements for registration in the four professional categories of registration, namely Professional Engineer, Professional Engineering Technologist ,Professional Certificated Engineer and Professional Engineering Technician as well as for Specified Categories, such as Registered lift inspectors


  • Prescribing requirements for Continuing Professional Development and determining the period within which registered persons must apply for renewal of their registrations


  • Prescribing a Code of Conduct and Codes of Practice, and enforcing such conduct through an Investigating Committee and a Disciplinary Tribunal


  • Identification of work of an engineering nature that should be reserved for registered persons by the CBE, after consultation with the Competition Board


  • Advising the CBE and Minister of Public Works on matters relating to the engineering profession and cognate matters


  • Recognition of professional associations, such as engineering associations, institutes, institutions and societies


  • Publication of a guideline tariff of fees for consulting work, in consultation with government, the profession and industry
ECSA Website: www.ecsa.co.za
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