Skip to content
2027Applications are now open
Apply

Occupational Certificate

Entrepreneurship & Business Management

National Occupational Certificate: Entrepreneurial Business Manager

  • Graduates earn R300,000+ a year
  • NQF Level 4, SAQA ID 124447
  • 12 months, online and live
Apply nowSpeak to an advisor

What you will work with

Cursor
CIPCLean Startup
  • Xero
  • Cursor
  • GitHub Copilot
  • ChatGPT
  • CIPC
  • Lean Startup
Course length
12 months
Requirements
NQF Level 2 qualification with mathematical literacy and communication (Grade 10 or equivalent)
Certificate
Occupational Certificate
Learning style
Online and live
Start date
9 Mar 2027
Applications close
1 Mar 2027

Accreditation

National Occupational Certificate: Entrepreneurial Business Manager, NQF Level 4, 120 credits (SAQA ID 124447). Offered by Zaio Institute of Technology as a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider under accreditation number 01-QCTO/SDP090726184208.

A nationally registered qualification, not a degree. Pass the national EISA and the QCTO issues the certificate. How to verify.

About the occupational certificate

This entrepreneurship course is the QCTO's National Occupational Certificate: Entrepreneurial Business Manager, taught by Zaio Institute of Technology over 12 months, online and live. You cover planning, launching and managing a business from the national curriculum, then Zaio modules on lean start-up, AI-built MVPs, bookkeeping, tax and registering a business, and you launch a real business before you graduate.

Entry is Grade 10, an NQF Level 2 qualification with mathematical literacy and communication, or equivalent. Tuition is paid upfront or financed monthly; the QCTO issues the certificate after the EISA. Whether you go on to build your own venture or manage someone else's, you leave with the mechanics as well as the mindset.

Curriculum

What the qualification covers.

01Knowledge Modules (44 Credits)

20 modules

Grounding you in what it takes to plan, launch and manage a business, extended with Zaio Theory (ZTEBM) modules.

  • Business Ethics and Etiquette (4 Credits)
  • Workplace Dynamics (2 Credits)
  • Business Communication and Customer Service (3 Credits)
  • Entrepreneurship (4 Credits)
  • Product/Service/Experience Innovation (2 Credits)

02Practical Skill Modules (37 Credits)

11 modules

Every practical module gets you closer to a live business.

  • Conduct Entrepreneurship Self-Assessment (3 Credits)
  • Generate Viable Business Ideas (8 Credits)
  • Determine Market Requirements for a New Venture (2 Credits)
  • Conduct Competitive Analysis (2 Credits)
  • Develop Goals for a Business Plan for a New Venture (2 Credits)

03Work Experience Modules (39 Credits)

4 modules

Real business execution throughout the programme.

  • Processes for the Development of a Business Concept (10 Credits)
  • Processes for the Development of a Funding Proposal for Business Start-Up or Expansion (8 Credits)
  • Processes for Managing the Operations of a Start-Up Business (9 Credits)
  • Processes for Maintaining Accounts and Financial Records (12 Credits)

Every module, and what it is worth in credits

In the 2027 learner prospectus. Read it here, or download the PDF.

View the prospectus

Tools you will use

  • Xero
  • Cursor
  • GitHub Copilot
  • ChatGPT
  • CIPC
  • Lean Startup

How the time is spent

  1. Part 1

    Theory modules (runs with Part 2, theory exam)

  2. Part 2

    Practical training (workbook, observation and assessment)

  3. Part 3

    Workplace / business-based modules (real business execution)

  4. External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA)

The difference

What makes this different.

Most entrepreneurship qualifications end with a business plan. Zaio's modules have you trading, with real customers, before you graduate:

120
Credits
35
Modules
10
Zaio-exclusive

Registered on the NQF at Level 4 (SAQA ID 124447) and issued by the QCTO after the EISA. The Zaio modules on top are built for founders who want to launch, not only learn.

Launch a business, not just a certificate

You'll leave with a legally registered business, a validated idea ready to register, or a business role you were hired into partly because of what you built while studying.

Beyond the curriculum

Where standard programmes stop at theory, you'll master the exact tools modern South African founders use every day — from AI-assisted MVP builders to SARS eFiling to SME banking apps.

AI-powered entrepreneurship

Learn how to build faster and cheaper with AI. Draft your business plan with Claude. Prototype your app with Cursor. Design your brand with Midjourney.

Real financial literacy

Bookkeeping, tax, cash flow, pricing — the skills that keep a business alive past the first 18 months. The stuff most business owners learn the hard way. You'll learn it in advance.

Outcomes

Where this takes you.

Graduates run their own ventures, or work as business managers, operations coordinators and small-business consultants.

Career paths
  • Small Business Owner / Founder
  • Junior Business Manager
  • Operations Coordinator
  • Franchise Manager
  • Assistant Store Manager
  • Junior Sales & Marketing Manager
  • Side-Hustle Entrepreneur
Progression paths
  • General Manager
  • Business Owner (scaled)
  • Business Consultant
  • Franchisee (multi-location)
  • Enterprise Development Officer
Universal skills that enhance any role
  • Financial literacy
  • Sales and negotiation
  • Operational thinking
  • Problem-solving under pressure
  • Resilience and adaptability

Faculty

Who teaches it.

All instructors

  • Instructor to be announced

    School of Business & Marketing

    Teaches

    Business development, marketing and design

  • Instructor to be announced

    School of Business & Marketing

    Teaches

    Business development, marketing and design

Tuition

What it costs, and how you pay.

Pay by year

  • UpfrontR67,850
  • EISA exam fee not included (approx. R6,000)

Paid year by year as you progress, with the national EISA exam fee at the end.

Speak to an advisor

Pay monthly — flexible financing

R6,615 a month

Spread across the 12 months you are studying. Financed through Manati, up to 100% of tuition, so you can start without paying it all upfront. Approval is theirs, and every cost is confirmed in writing before you enrol.

See financing options

Ready to start

Applications close
1 Mar 2027
Starts
9 Mar 2027

Who can apply

  • NQF Level 2 qualification with mathematical literacy and communication (Grade 10 or equivalent)
Apply now

Takes about five minutes.

FAQ

Questions about the Entrepreneurship & Business Management occupational certificate.

Ask an advisor
(01)Is this entrepreneurship course accredited?
Yes. It is the QCTO-accredited National Occupational Certificate: Entrepreneurial Business Manager, NQF Level 4, SAQA ID 124447, offered by Zaio Institute of Technology under accreditation number 01-QCTO/SDP090726184208.
(02)What are the entry requirements?
An NQF Level 2 qualification with mathematical literacy and communication, which is Grade 10 or equivalent. You do not need matric or business experience.
(03)How long is the entrepreneurship course?
Eighteen months, combining theory, practical training, business-based workplace modules and the national EISA exam.
(04)Do I need a business idea to start?
No. The first practical modules take you through a self-assessment and generating viable ideas. If you already have an idea, you will test it before you build it.
(05)What does it cost?
R67,850 upfront, or from R6,615 a month, plus the EISA exam fee of about R6,000 paid separately.
(06)Is NQF Level 4 the same as matric?
NQF Level 4 is the level of the National Senior Certificate (matric). This is a National Occupational Certificate at Level 4, a nationally registered occupational qualification, not a diploma or a degree.
(07)Will I get a job?
Zaio does not guarantee a job. Many graduates of this programme run their own business; for those who want employment, career services help with your CV and interviews.
(08)Who can apply?
NQF Level 2 qualification with mathematical literacy and communication (Grade 10 or equivalent) You apply online and an advisor will confirm you meet the entry rules before you enrol.
(09)How long does it take?
12 months, made up of part 1 (theory modules (runs with part 2, theory exam)), part 2 (practical training (workbook, observation and assessment)), part 3 (workplace / business-based modules (real business execution)), external integrated summative assessment (eisa) ().
(10)What do I graduate with?
National Occupational Certificate: Entrepreneurial Business Manager, NQF Level 4 (SAQA ID 124447). Zaio is accredited by the QCTO, so the qualification is registered on the National Qualifications Framework.
(11)When does it start?
Applications close 1 Mar 2027 and the programme starts 9 Mar 2027.
(12)How do I apply?
choose a programme, apply online, speak to an advisor, secure your place. The application itself takes about five minutes.

Also in this school

More from the School of Business & Marketing.

See the school

Higher Occupational Certificate

Business Development & Enterprise Growth

School of Business & Marketing

Find, win and grow business for a company.

With 230 Credits NQF Level 5 certification

Beginner2 years

Higher Occupational Certificate

Marketing & Advertising

School of Business & Marketing

Plan, create and run advertising campaigns across channels.

With 120 Credits NQF Level 5 certification

Beginner12 months

National Occupational Certificate

Graphic Design & Media

School of Business & Marketing

Design for brands across print, digital and motion, and graduate with a portfolio.

With 160 Credits NQF Level 4 certification

Beginner12–15 months
Apply nowSpeak to an advisor