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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION: 
PrQS - Professional Quantity Surveyor 
DESIGNATION ID DESIGNATION TITLE
571  PrQS - Professional Quantity Surveyor 
PROFESSIONAL BODY DESIGNATION STATUS
SACQSP - South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession  Reregistered 
SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
SAQA 06147/25  2025-03-20  2030-03-19 


DESCRIPTION:
The quantity surveyor acts as the financial and development consultant to the construction and property development industries, advising clients on the optimal use of funds as well as strategies to maximise human and physical resources.

Personal Attributes:
  • The quantity surveyor relates to people at all levels, whether they are developers, architects, engineers, land surveyors, lawyers and accountants or contractors, sub-contractors, emerging contractors and general workers.
  • Quantity surveyors are expected to maintain the highest level of professionalism towards all parties involved, thus ensuring fair and accurate finalisation of projects.
  • In addition to private professional practice, quantity surveyors' skills are also utilised in the following spheres of the economy: construction property development, government, finance. Many leaders in the commercial world are Quantity Surveyors.

    What Does A Quantity Surveyor Actually Do?

    Traditional quantity surveying functions:
  • Preparing feasibility studies and budgets for proposed projects preparing Bills of Quantities and other tender documentation to acquire fair and equitable tenders for projects negotiating building contracts drafting contract documents monitoring costs and reporting to clients during the design and construction of projects determining final costs of projects.

    Property development:
  • Development companies one's own initiative and entrepreneurial skills.
  • Building construction with large or small building companies.

    Industrial development:
  • Mning petrochemical heavy industry.
  • Community development locally, regionally or nationally through private and public sector housing, community services and infra-structural development projects.
  • Involvement in any project which requires rational planning and programming or financial and entrepreneurial skills.

    Research related to building/property economics, profitability of commercial investment, professional practice matters, cost benefit analysis related to building material and construction method selection and many other fields of interest to clients of the construction industry. 
    		•
    AWARDING CRITERIA
    For the Professional Designation to be awarded, professionals must comply with the following minimum requirements: 
    Underlying Registered Qualification or Part Qualification:
    There a two routes:
  • A four year full-time and five year part-time BSc and BSc Honours (QS) at university degree a three year university of technology diploma advancing to a B-Tech degree after a further year of study.

    Within both these levels of entry a route exists for advancement to full registration as a professional practising quantity surveyor.

    About thirteen (13) Higher Education Institutions in South Africa provide courses in quantity surveying. The course content, medium of instruction and entry requirements may be obtained directly from these institutions.

    Academic Component:
    There are numerous routes to qualification as a registered quantity surveyor or quantity surveying technologist. Starting on 1 January 2013, new routes to qualification as a registered quantity surveyor will apply and this is explained more fully at the bottom of this page. Effective 1st January 2013, the minimum academic criteria for registration with the SACQSP is 360 credits.

    After obtaining a degree or other relevant qualification candidate quantity surveyors are required to do at least 33 months of in service training and, depending on their qualification, pass the council exams in order to prove their professional competence before they are allowed to register. Registered quantity surveyors may use the suffix PrQS behind their names. 
    		•
    Experiential Learning or Experience
    Recognition of Years "In Training" - Students In Part-Time Professional Employment:
  • Shall commence no earlier than the fourth year of study towards an accredited480-credit quantity surveying degree, provided that the applicant hassuccessfully completed the major subjects or modules entitling him or her to advance to the fourth year of study.
  • Shall be applicable only to students working part-time under the supervision of a registered professional quantity surveyor.
  • A maximum of one year's recognition shall be given for appropriate experience, subject to the completion of logs and diaries as required by the Council.

    Recognition of Years "In Training" - Candidates In Part-Time Professional Employment:
  • Shall commence no earlier than the completion of the requirements for an accredited 480-credit quantity surveying degree.
  • Shall be applicable only to candidate quantity surveyors working part-time under the supervision of a registered professional quantity surveyor.
  • Recognition shall be given for appropriate experience, subject to the completion of logs and diaries as required by the Council.

    Recognition of Years "In Training" - Master's And Doctoral Students:
  • Shall commence no earlier than the completion of the requirements for an accredited 480-credit quantity surveying Degree.
  • Shall be applicable only to candidate quantity surveyors who have successfully completed a Masters or Doctorate Degree during their in training period.
  • The Council may allow a reduction of a maximum of one year of the required registration period for the completion of either a Masters or Doctorate Degree, provided that the candidate submits a copy of the dissertation/thesis/research reports with his/her logs and diaries and that the topic of the study is relevant to the quantity surveying profession. 
    		•
    Competency Assessment
    Starting on 1 January 2013, all NEW Candidates who apply for registration - on or after 1 January 2013 - in terms of the Quantity Surveying Profession Act 2000 (Act No 49 of 2000) will be admitted to Interviews for Assessment of their Professional Competence only if they produce certificates to prove that they have successfully completed all the prescribed SACQSP Professional Skills Modules during their post-qualification terms as employed, supervised, mentored, Candidates. 
    Designation RPL Statement
    This Designation may not be awarded through Recognition of Prior Learning. 
    RETAINING CRITERIA
    In order to ensure the currency of professional knowledge and to retain the Professional Designation, the professional must comply with the following minimum requirements: 
    Code of Conduct
    Members must adhere to the Professional Body Codes of Conduct and Ethics. 
    Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
    Section 22 of the Quantity Surveying Professional Act 2000 (Act 49 of 2000) (hereinafter referred to as "the Act) imposes a duty on a registered person to apply for the renewal of his/her registration. Subsection (2) of this section confers the power on the Council to determine conditions for renewal of registration. Section 13(k) of the Act empowers Council to determine conditions relating to continuing education and training. The use of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) gives Council the opportunity to comply with both the renewal of registration and educational requirements.

    Although the South African Council for the Quantity surveying Profession (SACQSP) has introduced a system of CPD under the previous Act (Act 36 of 1970) which was effective from 1 January 1999, Council has decided that, starting in 2007, CPD will be linked to the annual renewal of registration for all registered quantity surveyors according to the policy set out in this document.

    2. Objective:
    The primary objectives of the CPD system are to:
    2.1 Enhance professional skills while supporting development in the quantity surveying profession.
    2.2 Meet the requirements of the Act.
    2.3 Serve as one of the means for renewal of registration.
    2.4 Develop the quantity surveying profession as a learned society of skilled professionals. 
    Fees
    Ensure that the annual membership fee is paid. 


    PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION PROGRESSION PATHWAY
    (The Designation being reported on here is shown in italics.)

    Sequence Designation ID Designation Title
    1571PrQS - Professional Quantity Surveyor


    PROFESSIONAL BODY WEB ADDRESS:
    For more information on this Professional Designation, please visit http://www.sacqsp.org.za/