University of South Africa [UNISA]
reviews and complaints

Today I am highly disappointed in the way Unisa conslutants handles themselves when dealing with our quries. I went to the campus today to see if I could get some study material (block 3) that I am missing. After standing for hours in the que unattended I then decide to just go ask my self without being called I get to the window and the guy is sleeping and says to me did I not hear that he previsely told the girl that was in front of me that he was sick. I was shocked this was such unprofessional of him and it's show the level of respect they have for their jobs and us the students

Yours truly

Sindi khoza

Good day

I am very disappointed by the way Unisa is doing feedback.
My daughter tried to register for studies, but because of Unisa"s attitude she will not be able to study this semester wasting half a year. She registered on the 17 Of January, no feedback . We saw on the TV the problems, so waited for any feedback but none. She phoned /e.Mailed no
answer what so ever.

When we eventually got through we were told that sorry you did not pay ( we tried to do payment but the system was of, phoning for help also did not work no answer)

Student no [protected]
BA Environmental

Paul Greyling

[protected]

I went last year November (2016) and registered for this year. When I went in January to sort out my modules they tell me I am not registered. that same week they kept sending me emails to come back as I am registered. Last week they sent me an email that I have been accepted for this year but they have not sent me any messages to com and choose my modules. The people that work at unisa in Pietermaritzburg are very incompetent. please help me out!

I was owing UNISA money from previous years and have finally managed to pay them. I'm due for late registration tomorrow via UKZN and my academic records have been blocked. It's been a week trying to get this sorted out!

I have been calling the call center but no one seems to answer.

If I don't get my academic records I cannot register and the deadline for late registration is tomorrow which means I need to get my results TODAY!

I have been trying to contact Unisa since 08:00 until 12:00 with no luck regarding my registration and qualifications. I have wasted close to R250 airtime just by trying to call them. Not just their head office but at various branches but still nothing its as if they only installed a computer system that says: 'they have a high volume call rate'. Its very frustrating considering ones future and time. Even when you email them they only replay after a week.

Its a true disgrace to see that the university only sees money and not the student itself.

I registered with Unisa online on the 9th of January and made payment on the 13th of January. Even though my payment reflects on myUnisa, my registration has still not been processed. I have sent several e-mails and SMS's enquiring about the hold up, but have not received any response. I have also requested a statement of account which my organisation requires for bursary purposes, but have also not received any response on this request. It seems as if my pleas are being blatantly ignored and I have lost a whole month of study so far. Their complaints page on their website has also conveniently been removed. I simply do not know what to do anymore. I have been studying with them since 2010 and have never experience anything like this before.

I have applied October last year(2016) for a BSc Life Sciences(Biochemistry and Business management). I never received any feedback from UNISA. I tried calling too many times but no one was available to assist.

I was unable to register sinse my application was not processed as it indicated on their registration site. I got approved by NSFAS but I am afraid I might lose out on this opportunity. I do not want to wait for another semester. I applied early to avoid things like these but it still happened to me. I applied on time, my application deserves attention like other applications.

I really need to register someone help please.

My name is Wendy student number [protected] registered BA in Environmental Management. I was phased out due to not accumulating enough credits in 2014 and given option to do annual course or accumulate 48credits to be re admitted back to my course. I completed this annual course in June 2016 and have completed the form attached the academic records and submitted it to re admission fax number since then until now 2017 I still have not been unblocked. I have faxed numerous times emailed numerous time still nothing. I seriously want to finish my course. Please help.

I (student number [protected]) had an amount of R6220 due to me in my unisa student account at the end of last year 2016. The amount was never claimed. Earlier this year, 8th January, i noticed the amount had been withdrawn by unisa and made enquiries about. I was told that my fees for 2015 were never paid and that i owe the university, how then did i manage to register for 2016 and why was i not informed of this for the entire 2016? I further submitted proof of payment for both the year 2015 and 2016 on the 10th of January 2017 and was told the matter will be resolved within 48 hours. Registrations close on the 5th of February 2017, it is the 2nd of February and despite all my attempts to contact the university through numerous emails and phone calls, i still have not received any help and my registration for the year 2017 cannot be finalized. I do not owe unisa any amount for all my previous years of study.

It started in 2016.
I registered online to study my PGCE for education. I only had the choice to choose one option of what I like to study. I registered and then I was waiting for a response back from Unisa.
The first response I got back from them was on the 10th 0f December 2016 stating the following:
Dear Student

You are urgently requested to submit the following item(s) or take note of the contents of this letter. If
the item(s) have already been submitted, please ignore this letter.

511 SAQA Evaluation

I did then respond that I don’t know what the SAQA Evaluation is and that they should explain.
I didn’t hear anything back.
The next day I received the following email:
Dear Student

Thank you for your application to study at Unisa during 2017. Your student number is quoted above and
must be used in all correspondence and enquiries with Unisa.

This letter serves to confirm that your application has been received.

You might have already received feedback on the outcome of your application. However if not as yet,
you will receive feedback once your application has been processed. Due to the large number of
applications received, it is anticipated that most applicants will probably receive feedback four
to six weeks after the application period has closed.

I then assume that they are happy with everything.
From then I haven't heard anything back from Unisa.
On the 18th of January 2017 I went to Unisa Polokwane early in the morning sitting there the whole day, while the system is off and on the whole day.
When I got to the counter the guy at the back told me that I need a SAQA certificate from my Collage to say that is SAQA approved. I told him that Design School of Southern Africa is SAQA approved. He told me to go back and get the certificate from them. I Phoned the Design school, they send it to me and, the next morning I was standing in the row again 6 o'clock in the morning in front of the Unisa office again.
The same guy as previously help me again. He took the certificate scanned it and emailed it to application, where he cc’ed me in the email.:
Good Morning

Attached kindly find supporting documents concerning the comment that was written on F851. The student would also, indicated that upon application there was no second option available to her. She would also like to be conceded for the Bed Intermediate 02607 as a second option please.

Until today I phoned every day, emailed them and trying to sort this out, nobody picks up the phone or answer the phone. I can’t take another day off from work to go stand in the row again just to hear that they can't help me.

If I am not registered to study in February 2017 I will lose my job, because this was our agreement with my employer. I am mother with a BA Interior Design Degree that might lose her job because Unisa can’t help me.
I also asked if they can register me for BEd in the meanwhile and still haven’t heard anything.

Student no: [protected] (old number obtained degree prior to 2005

registered online 2017 for ndp subjects - computer programming under the same student number of the past. Emails received confirming registration together with the cost thereof.

The minimum payment due was also paid using the credit option and the receipt was received to that effect.

The system however did not marry the registration to the payment as the result the system shows myself to be in credit for 4200, 00 and the student number error stating that the registration number will become active once I re-register. ?

the telephone lines are now non existent and some lines prompts you to drop and email and on doing so, we receive messages that the mail box is full.

I registered and paid my fees in full on 3 January 2017. My first semester study material was then dispatched to me, and after a few e-s and telephone conversations with Skynet, my study material was delivered.
I received a Tutorial letter for FOR3701, but no study guide. NB: There are no prescribed books for this module, only a study guide.

I contacted the despatch department via e-mail on Tuesday 17 January 2017 to let them know that I had not received a study guide for FOR3701-all I have received from them in response is a case number: 17017NX18886.

I then contacted the lecturer, Mr R J Mokwena, via e-mail requesting that he load the pdf format of the study material on myUnisa like all the other lecturers. I did not receive a response. I have e-mailed him a further 2 times requesting study material without a response. I also copied the Department administrator, Mr S I Dintwe (whom I received a read receipt and nothing further), and the Department Secretary, Ms Ntando (whom has also sent a read receipt and nothing further).

I am unable to proceed with my studies of this module as I do not have the necessary tools to continue.

I am unable to make an appointment to see the Lecturer because he does not respond to e-mails.

At the moment Unisa is in breach of "contract" because they have not supplied the goods that have been paid for and are now willfully ignoring my attempts to contact them.

All I want is my study material — a pdf format is acceptable. If Unisa cannot supply the goods, they should not offer the module!

Regards
Anita Blount
[protected]

I need a letter confirming that my BTech Degree was taught in English. This is a pre-requisite from UK NARIC, to get confirmation that my qualification is equivalent to a UK Degree, which is required for a work visa application.

I am located in Germany and addressed my request to various email addresses on the UNISA site, also made international calls from Germany to their [protected] number, holding on for approx. 19 minutes and 30 seconds. I also dialed several of the numbers on the Contact Us webpage, in an attempt to get hold of somebody/anybody, however either the number does not work or it rings a couple of times and then the call ends.

This is causing a delay in my visa application and I will not be able to start my work contract in UK.

Is there anybody who can help me with my query?

I am about to complete my PGCE online via UNISA, but some administrative issues have to be resolved, which, I admit, is not completely UNISA's fault, but I am unable to discuss this with anyone because no one answers their phones.
No one responds to emails sent.
I even try an online complaint website of UNISA, and THAT is not working!

All I need is to be able to speak to the correct person to discuss my difficulty.

I am a final year law student.due to changes in modules by the university and credits I am unsure of the modules credit I have earned and whether it carries weight. I have sent numerous emails since July of last year. I am getting the run around from the student advisors and the law faculty staff. I have tried numerous times to call departments and persons who may assist me. They have not answered my phone call.. not once. ..I am days away from the end of registration and any help i thought of receiving is now dismal. What is the university paying these people for. They cannot provide even basic services to the students. I have proof of the many many emails I have sent . This university service is going down the drain...

Good day,

I applied to study at Unisa in 2016 and was accepted. in 2017 when I try to register online it throws a message that my details can't be found on the database.
I have sent countless emails, they are just read and no one has bothered to come back to me. I've even called the numbers that are on the website to try and get an explanation but no one answers and some days the phones are engaged.
I don't if this is the kind of service that Unisa gives to it's prospective students because i'm now even what's gonna happen when studying here and I need assistance if I am battling to just register.

We were driving from Oudtshoorn to George on the 13 January 2017 to register to study at Unisa. I phoned a Unisa consultant at 14:35 on this day. He told me that Unisa will be closing at 15:30 on this day. He told me that I must be there at 15:30. We arrived at Unisa at 15:30 finding that the doors were closed and the security told me that he can't let me in.
I asked him to call the supervisor of Unisa. The supervisor sent a message that she can't come. She has too much work to listen to me.
Now, we had to turn around. The trip cost me R250 and still I couldn't be help.
What happened to Batho pele principles?
My argument is that I was 15:30 there and they did let me in. The security closed the door earlier.
Why do you have people working with the community that does not know the Batho Pele principles?

I feel they could've let me in.

I am a first time applicant at unisa. I applied for admission for Bsc Hons in computer science in September.

I still have not yet received the status of my application. I sent numerous emails and phoned many numbers but could not get through to anyone.

After my final attempt being a failed effort I visited the campus on Friday.
I waited for more than 8 hours in the queue in the rain. When I finally manage to get inside the campus, they said they were not attending to post grad students. This is just not fair.

I contacted someone in applications department who said my application is not yet finalized and I should go back to unisa to query. I cannot do this as I am back at work now and will not be allowed time off to sort this out. I do not know what to do as registration is already open and I cant do anything without knowing the status of my application.

This is absolutely ridiculous, first they said all applicants would receive their status by the 27th of November, then it was moved to the 20th of December, then to the 3rd of January. This is really frustrating as no one is willing to assist.Since when has it been so difficult to get a postgraduate education in south Africa.

Good afternoon,

I am really disappointed with the standard of service I have been receiving from UNISA.

There was an amount of R1 520.00 outstanding on my study fees. I made the payment of the outstanding amount on the 4th of January 2017 and expected that I would receive my exam results the following day. This, however, was not the case.

On the 5th and 6th of January 2017, I tried to phone UNISA but they never answer the phone. I phoned the following departments: 1. Finance Department, 2. UNISA branch Middelburg and 3. UNISA Branch Nelspruit. I then drafted various e-mails to UNISA and provided them with the proof of payment and also requested them to provide me with my exam results.

I have now been waiting three days and still had not received my exam results not can I register for my next semester.

This is very disappointing.

In the beginning of 2016, my company paid my tuition fees twice by accident. I have proof of this. They then decided to leave the money in credit in lieu of 2017's fees. The credit has been sitting there the whole year.

Then in October Muzi Mamba sent me an e-mail to send proof of this payment. WHich I did, within the stipulated time. He came back to me and said that all is ok with the extra that was paid. Now when I look into my finances. Your department has just taken off the money. Your phone number doesn't work and no one is getting back to me. My company will take legal proceedings against Unisa if they steal this money.

Please can you sort out immediately. I also can't register or do anything.

Kind regards

Samantha Pikus