While most entrepreneurs his age operate in popular sectors such as takeaways and retail businesses, Silindile Nqala, 32, from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape is carving a niche in the education sector.
He is the founder of Plainview College, a private school that aims to provide accessibility to quality education, ensuring students get the right tools they need to navigate the world of education.
Nqala’s journey started with a love and passion for information technology (IT). He also felt the need to have an impact on the community he grew up in with skills and an idea of how to seek a meaningful career path.
He uses Plainview as a mission-driven business by expanding beyond traditional private colleges.
The business includes a high school which offers courses accredited under the National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED) and online IT.
“I wanted to create a space where students could not only rewrite their matric but where they can also get access to career focused qualifications so that they can have a better future,” said Nqala.
“And it all started as a vision of owning my own computer school or training centre since I studied IT years back and I saw the need to equip my community with the necessary skills in IT or basic computing,” said Nqala.
Plainview College has grown significantly, enrolling students in Johannesburg and Mthatha. Beyond establishing campuses, Nqala is committed to fostering an environment where students can gain practical experience, earn credentials that are relevant to the industry, and access opportunities that will position them for better career prospects.
“Starting a campus at Mthatha came with lots of challenges in terms of limited resources, infrastructure constraints and overcoming the perception that quality education was available in big cities. And as time went on, I managed to expand my school to Johannesburg and currently we have about 200 students this semester, and 12 lecturers,” he explained.
The college recently has partnered with Capitec Bank.
“Our partnership with Capitec Bank focuses on providing students with affordable student loans to fund their education. Through the Capitec Education term loan, students can pay their fees in manageable instalments with flexible repayment terms, reducing the financial barriers that often prevent students from enrolling,” said Nqala.
“This partnership has significantly improved access, especially for those from lower-income households with our registration starting from R1000 and our fees ranging from R6000 – R14000.”
Nqala has set his sights on establishing more campuses, introducing new programmes in digital marketing and continuing to make education more accessible through technology-driven solutions.
