This week, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) hosted a delegation from Angola who came to South Africa to share best practices of the schooling system particularly in the field of Examination administration. As part of the visit, the delegation was engaged in a series of meetings held at various venues including the DBE Offices, Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), UMALUSI and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) from 14-17 March 2023. The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs AM Motshekga, signed a bilateral agreement with her Angolan counterpart in March 2019. The cooperation objectives envisaged in the agreement were: Exchanges of delegations and information; cooperation between institutions such as UMALUSI; exchanges of experts and academics, training of technical staff; cooperation to establish accreditation of equivalent qualifications; participation in conferences and other events; and cooperation between National Commissions. An Implementation Plan was also signed at that time.

The DBE and Angolan Ministry of Education have had several exchanges since the signing of the bilateral agreement including two meetings between the Ministers. This time, the Angolan delegation, led by Dr Diasala Jacinto Andre, National Director for Evaluation and Education Development, undertook a study tour to South Africa to focus on examinations, assessments, certification and quality assurance. They had the first meeting with the DBE, focusing on the assessment and examination landscape of the country; the second meeting was held at UMALUSI, focusing on quality assurance; followed by another meeting with DHET, focusing on examination in TVET colleges; the fourth meeting was held at the GDE offices, with a specific focus on examination printing, writing and marking, as well as e-marking; and a workshop on systems administration. During their tour, they had a site visit to the Government Printers, Lebone Litho Printers, DBE Certification, as well as Item Development site located at the DBE. Dr Diasala Jacinto Andre, indicated that the visit was enlightening to the delegation and they discovered a lot more than what was anticipated. Dr Rufus Poliah, Chief Director for Public Examinations and Assessments indicated that the engagements with the Angolan delegation also provided an opportunity for self-reflection and added that their questions assisted the DBE to look at the existing processes and consider further improvements.

The DBE also hosted a delegation from Tanzania and Zanzibar on 13 March 2023. The delegation was attending the 2nd South Africa - Tanzania Bi-National Commission (BNC), that took place from 13-15 March 2023, culminating into a State Visit on 16 March 2023. The delegation was led by Mr Khamis Said, the Principal Secretary of Education and Vocational Training in Zanzibar and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Education, Science and Technology in Tanzania. The DBE was led by Ms Simoné Geyer, Deputy Director-General for the Planning and Delivery Oversight Unit. This engagement was part of an on-going partnership as both parties work towards cementing the bilateral relations.  The meeting recognized the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by respective Ministers in the field of basic education in 2022. The MOU committed the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar, and South Africa to cooperate on various areas including;   strengthening Teacher Development; teaching and Learning Kiswahili Language; learning and Teaching Support Material;    National Assessment and Examinations;   Information and Communication Technology (ICT); curriculum development and training; quality Assurance and Assessment; school leadership, management and evaluation of schools;   exchange of delegations and participation by education representatives.  Ministries further negotiated and finalized the Implementation Plans with the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zanzibar, providing detailed time-based plans that will guide implementation of the cooperation. The implementation plans will be signed by the Director-General of Basic Education in South Africa; the Permanent Secretary of Education, Science and Technology in Tanzania; and the Principal Secretary of Education and Vocational Training in Zanzibar. The meeting agreed to have further exchanges on early childhood education, inclusive education, recovery from learning losses, school nutrition, and ICT in the education sector. The DHET was also part of the meeting, represented by Mr Xolani Khumalo, the Chief Director for International Relations. The DHET and Tanzania have agreed to negotiate on signing an MOU on Higher Education.