The Council on Higher Education (CHE) has one permanent committee, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). The HEQC has executive responsibility for quality promotion and quality assurance in higher education. The Higher Education Act of 1997 (reference: Higher Education Act 101 of 1997) states that the functions of the HEQC are to:

• promote quality in higher education
• audit the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions
• accredit programmes of higher education

To the above three mandated areas, the HEQC added quality-related capacity development.

Members of the HEQC
Prof. Theo Andrew	Executive Dean : Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment Durban University of Technology
Prof. Narend Baijnath	Pro Vice-Chancellor University of South Africa (UNISA)
Prof. Yunus Ballim	Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) University of the Witwatersrand
Prof. Usuf Chikte	Executive Head: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences University of Stellenbosch
Dr Felicity Coughlan	Director The Independent Institute of Education
Dr Andrew Kaniki	Executive Director: Knowledge Management and Strategy National Research Foundation
Mr Thamsanqa Ledwaba	Deputy Director Business Leadership South Africa
Dr Kuselwa Marala	Director: Academic Administration: Registrar's Office Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Prof. John Mubangizi	Deputy Vice Chancellor Head of the College of Law and Management Studies University of KwaZulu-Natal
Ms Nicolene Murdoch	Executive Director: Teaching, Learning and Quality Monash University South Africa
Prof. Nthabiseng Ogude	Vice-Chancellor and Principal Tshwane University of Technology
Prof. Martin Oosthuizen	Deputy Vice Chancellor: Teaching and Learning North-West University
Prof. Rocky Ralebipi-Simela	Regional Director UNISA Limpopo Region
Prof Edmund Zingu	Independent Consultant

Ex Officio Members
Dr Diane Parker	Acting Deputy Director General: Universities Department of Higher Education and Training
Ms Eugenie Rabe	Chief Operating Officer Umalusi
Mr Ahmed Essop	Chief Executive Officer Council on Higher Education (CHE)

The structure

The Quality Assurance Directorates are led by an Executive Director.

The HEQC has three directorates:

• Institutional Audits - responsible for conducting audits of public and private higher education institutions' systems for ensuring good quality of provision in the three core functions of teaching and learning, research and community engagement.
• National Reviews - responsible for re-accrediting existing programmes in specific disciplines and/or qualification areas.
• Programme Accreditation - responsible for accrediting the learning programmes of public and private higher education institutions.