In an era marked by growing public scrutiny of institutions and an urgent call for ethical and accountable governance, the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) continues to distinguish itself as a benchmark for excellence within the public sector. CHIETA is pleased to announce that it has attained a clean audit outcome and a 100% performance rating for the third consecutive year, an exceptional achievement that underscores its steadfast commitment to integrity, operational excellence, and the advancement of South Africa’s national development agenda.
This milestone, validated by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), reflects CHIETA’s unwavering commitment to clean administration, effective service delivery, and measurable impact in South Africa’s skills development ecosystem.
Excellence Sustained Over Time
Across three financial years – 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25, CHIETA has not only maintained an unbroken record of clean audits, but has also met 100% of its predetermined objectives. This includes critical outcomes in skills development, stakeholder engagement, governance, and transformation.
Key achievements:
- Three consecutive clean audits (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25)
- 100% performance ratings three years in a row
- Zero irregular, fruitless, or wasteful expenditure
- No fraud or corruption flagged by the AGSA
- Nine SMART Skills Centres launched-one in every province-expanding access to future-ready skills for South Africans
Reflecting on the achievement, CHIETA Chief Executive Officer Yershen Pillay emphasised that securing three consecutive clean audits and 100 percent performance ratings is not merely a compliance milestone but a leadership imperative. In a time of public scepticism and resource constraints, CHIETA is demonstrating that ethical governance, strategic investment, and performance accountability can and must coexist. “We owe this to our country’s youth, to our industry partners, and to the future we are working to build, where skills development is not merely promised but consistently delivered,” he said.
Setting a Standard for the Skills Economy
As South Africa navigates the intersecting crises of unemployment, inequality, and a rapidly shifting industrial landscape, CHIETA’s achievement signals a powerful message: performance with integrity is possible in the public sector, and it is key to national transformation.
With its network of SMART Skills Centres across all nine provinces, CHIETA is not only transforming the skills development landscape-it is investing in the infrastructure of hope, productivity, and inclusive economic participation.
CHIETA’s achievement should inspire broader confidence in the SETA system and reinforce the need for strategic partnerships between government, industry, and civil society. The Authority calls on all stakeholders to match accountability with action and performance with purpose.
“We are not just building compliance reports-we are building futures,” Pillay concluded.
