Cape Town College of Fashion DesignCTCFD

Cape Town College of Fashion Design, known as CTCFD, is a private fashion school in Mowbray, in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. It has been operating since 1965. The college says it is registered as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, and that the Council on Higher Education has accredited its Diploma in Fashion Design and its Advanced Diploma in Fashion Design. The South African Qualifications Authority records both on the National Qualifications Framework, the diploma at NQF level 6 and the advanced diploma at NQF level 7.

Teaching happens in person on one campus, in English. The diploma prospectus describes delivery as face-to-face with compulsory full-time attendance, and the college does not advertise any distance or online route.

The main qualification is a three-year full-time diploma. Practical modules such as fashion design, pattern design, garment construction and digital fashion application run through all three years, alongside theory in business studies, textiles, fashion history, retail management and branding. The advanced diploma takes one year full-time or two years part-time and includes an internship, a chosen specialisation and a research project. A 30-week foundation programme introduces fashion design to people who want a gap year, are not ready for full-time study, or do not yet have a matric pass. Finishing it gives automatic entry to the diploma, but it earns no national credits and is not registered with SAQA. Part-time short courses cover sewing, pattern making, illustration, digital drawing tools, tailoring, evening wear and lingerie, and they run more than once a year.

For the diploma, applicants need a National Senior Certificate, or an international equivalent, that meets the minimum for diploma study. They also submit a portfolio with a motivational essay and design sketches. Applicants who miss the minimum can ask about recognition of prior learning. South African citizens get preference, and international students are accepted subject to space and need a valid passport.

The diploma and advanced diploma follow one annual intake at the start of a four-term academic year. Fees are published per programme as downloadable fee schedules. The college offers a limited number of partial bursaries on application, points students to bank student loans, and names Student Hero as a loan route. There is no residence on the premises, but the site lists student accommodation within walking distance in Observatory, Rosebank and Mowbray.