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Yes — and thousands of South African cybersecurity professionals have done it. Here’s what actually matters to employers, and the fastest route into the field without a university qualification.
Most cybersecurity job ads in South Africa list a degree as “preferred” — not “required.” In practice, hiring managers in security care far more about certifications, demonstrated skills, and practical experience than they do about a degree.
This is partly driven by necessity: South Africa simply does not produce enough cybersecurity graduates to fill available roles. Employers have had to adapt, and many have dropped degree requirements entirely for technical security positions.
| Step | What to Do | Time (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CompTIA A+ — IT fundamentals | 2–3 months |
| 2 | CompTIA Security+ — security basics | 2–3 months |
| 3 | Cisco CyberOps or CompTIA CySA+ | 3–4 months |
| 4 | Apply for junior SOC analyst roles | Ongoing |
Note on government roles: Some South African government IT roles have formal qualification requirements that cannot be substituted by certifications alone. For private sector and most corporate roles, certifications are sufficient.
Yes. School of IT offers live 1-on-1 online cybersecurity training in CompTIA, Cisco, and Microsoft security courses. No campus, no fixed timetable — you schedule sessions with your personal lecturer at times that suit you. Courses can be completed in weeks or months depending on your pace.
Live 1-on-1 online training in CompTIA, Cisco, and Microsoft security. Start anytime.
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The instructors were knowledgeable and supportive, making complex concepts easy to understand. This course has significantly strengthened my data analysis skills and confidence in working with cloud-based solutions. Highly recommended for anyone looking to upskill in data analytics. Mikhe Bezuidenhout 23 January 2026 I found the content and course material very useful and user friendly. My lecturer did an outstanding presentation of the course contents. Can definitely highly recommend School of IT Michael Duvenhage 21 January 2026 The first Cybersecurity course was an excellent introduction to Cybersecurity and was explained properly. Danyella Camarena 4 January 2026 Had the most wonderful experience here! I learnt so much with my graphic design masterclass course - Carmel is wonderful and is an amazing teacher. 100% recommend!!!!!!!!!! Chantal Hamman 27 November 2025 I did the SQL Administrator Master Course through The School of IT in August 2025 and successfully completed my Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate exam with the help of the incredible team. Online sessions were scheduled to fit in with my available hours, as I'm working full time and the lecturers were amazing. Always available to assist and answer questions. Shaun assisted me with the preparation of the exam with the all the online learning material and manuals that I needed. I can definitely recommend School of IT!
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Every lesson is a live call on MS Teams or Google Meet. You see your lecturer, they see you, and you both share screens, so you're doing the work, not just listening.
