ESAYIDI FET (Further Education & Training) College is a merged college in its 4th year and operates under the KZN Department of Education, with several campuses in the Southern Kwa Zulu Natal Region. Our aim is to satisfy the recruitment needs of local business and industry by providing a high standard of relevant tuition and training. The college, as a service provider, is currently delivering training and tuition in the region, at various levels, in the following fields: tourism, local government, the motor industry, electrical and electronics, business studies, hospitality and catering services, cabinet making, wholesale and retail, information technology, ABET, mechanical engineering, health services, and expressive arts. These will be expanded in the future.

In 2002 Port Shepstone Technical College and Enyenyezi Technical College, with its 7 satellite campuses, merged to form ESAYIDI FET College. The Kokstad Campus was added later in the same year and emphasized the fact that the college is a service provider serving both urban and rural areas spread over a very wide geographic area. The components are sparsely distributed and fall under the jurisdiction of the municipal areas of Izingolweni, Umzumbe, Vulamehlo, Umdoni, Umuziwabantu, Kokstad and the Hibiscus Coast, and the Metropolitan areas of Shelly Beach, Margate and Port Shepstone.

In 2003 Dr Nzimande was appointed as the Rector and immediately set the goal of cooperation with Commerce and Industry. The intention of ESAYIDI FET is to provide courses that are both current and relevant, by interacting on a regular basis with the local business fraternity. This will allow for the modification, upgrading, and introduction of new courses as the need arises.

The College has embarked on an expansion plan, which aims at satisfying the training needs of a much wider rural community. As a result skills and craft courses are planned for the skills centres. The purpose is to alleviate poverty and to provide the unemployed with knowledge and skills that will enable them to become self-employed and self-sufficient.

Illiteracy in the region remains a major concern and ABET training is conducted at several locations. This training is currently conducted on behalf of organizations such as Eskom and the Shark’s Board. Financial assistance and facilitator training has on occasion been provided by the Rotary organization. Where possible ABET training is provided together with skills training, such as agriculture, bricklaying and sewing. In future all skills centres will present ABET courses as part of the college policy.

The Governing Council of ESAYIDI at present has representatives from the local Industry, Parents, Local Council, UGU District Municipality, Chamber of Commerce and other roll players in the region.