Financial Services
The following are useful links to websites and organizations that we find useful and believe they would be helpful for the financial service professional:
ASISA
A number of organizations including the LOA and CIS were combined to form the Association of Savings and Investments for SA and this is a very helpful site for investments, collective investments schemes and life insurance information. 
Berkshire Hathaway INC.
This is the online home of Warren Buffett and one of my goto places on the internet to get some input on investments and investment strategy. Anyone who can perform this well over such a long period of time is well worth listening to. http://www.berkshirehathaway.com
Bill Gates – Gates Notes
Here is a link to the Bill Gates blog where you can keep up to date with his involvement and opinion of the world and what is impacting on the following areas:
- Technology
- Life-saving activities in the world
- Activities to help the poor in the world
- Environment change
- Philanthropy
- Books
Bold Books and Bones
An excellent Blog/Vlog on the use and importance of books and libraries to share knowledge and information.
https://boldbooksandbones.com/
FSCA previously the FSB
FSB – The FSB is responsible for registering FSP ( Financial Service providers) and are responsible for the FAIS Act as well as being the regulator for all financial services other than Banking at the following link:
The FSCA also recognises SAQA qualifications as acceptable to registration as a representative or FSP for the various categories and subcategories.
Most of these can be found in the FAIS Notice 2023 at the following link and includes the new OC Long term INsurance level 5 and the OC INvestment Adviser level 6:
FPI- Financial Planning Institute
The Financial Planning Institute is a professional body that is focused on financial planning and advice. 
Moonstone FSB Library
http://www.moonstone.co.za/library/fsb-library/
SARB – SA Reserve Bank
Banking is regulated by the SARB. This site provides information on rules, changes to regulations and events and activity in the regulation of financial services. https://www.resbank.co.za/Pages/default.aspx
Education &Training and Development Organisations
Kahn Academy
This innovation and interesting online training provider provides excellent training on Maths, Economics, History, Technology, Science and a whole range of subjects that are being added to constantly.
There is no cost and they work on a donation instead of fee basis and I would strongly recommend them to anyone wanting to improve their knowledge or skills in any of these complicated areas of learning.
Mentorship Challenge
This wonderful initiative provides an opportunity for people to connect with mentors to improve themselves in their chosen endeavours or for experienced people to pass on their knowledge and experience as a mentor.
The concept of mentors and mentorship is central to the RSC philosophy and the concept of outcomes-based education that we follow.
To quote from their excellent website they describe themselves as:
“The Mentorship Challenge was first created by Redefine Properties as an innovative way to make a real difference in people’s lives, and to demonstrate Redefine’s commitment to our country and its future leaders. Mentorship serves as a guiding hand out of poverty to success – securing a better and stronger future for all South Africans. This initiative offers us an opportunity to inspire fellow corporates to join the mentorship movement and give back to communities in a meaningful and sustainable way.
The Mentorship Challenge allows ordinary South Africans to connect with legendary leaders in every possible field – from artists to architects, techpreneurs to teachers, from singers to stockbrokers to scientists, fashionistas to philanthropists, from property developers to publicists and professional athletes. From the very start, then, the intention was to revive and entrench a culture of mentorship in a skills-scarce South Africa – to create a rich resource of masterclasses that could be drawn on by future leaders and promising entrepreneurs, from all walks of life.
The Mentorship Challenge, through an interactive online platform, enables thought leaders to share those nuggets of wisdom and insight that you won’t find in any business manual. It’s all about those personal instincts and invaluable lessons learned on the road to success, and it’s about leaving a legacy for future generations.
And for bright young beginners seeking guidance and direction, this is an unprecedented opportunity to meet the giants of industry and learn leadership lessons right from the source.”
if you would like more information go to their website at the followng link:
MILPARK
Milpark Education is a private, registered provider of accredited Higher Education (HE) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications.
Through their School of Financial Planning and Insurance, they offer a number of programs that can be used to bridge from the level 5 Wealth management through level 6 to prepare for a postgraduate qualification in financial planning.
You can read up and enrol for these programs at:
http://www.milpark.ac.za/qualifications/financial-planning-and-insurance
QCTO – Quality Council for Trades and Occupations
QCTO Council consists of sixteen members appointed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training. The appointed members represent a spectrum of social and economic backgrounds and constituencies in the country. The Council is entrusted with the responsibility to steer the QCTO towards achieving its mandate as stipulated in the founding legislation which is the National Qualifications Framework Act Nr. 67 of 2008 and the Skills Development Act Nr. 97 of 1998.
The responsibilities of the Council are to engage, ratify and approve the decisions and recommendations of its standing committees. Council members are appointed for a period of five years and can be extended for another five-year period.
The current Council was appointed in 2015 and its term will expire in 2020.
The new financial services qualifications or awards which will replace the current INSETA qualifications in 2018/19 are controlled by this council.
SAQA – South African Qualification Authority
The South African Qualifications Authority controls all education and training in SA and everything offered as a skills program or qualification which offers formal credits would need to be registered with SAQA.
Training providers must be registered with a SETA, UMALUSI, Higher Education or QCTO depending on the programs they run.
RSC is registered with INSETA as a training provider to develop and conduct training for skills programs and RPL based on units standards. Our registration is with INSETA as this is our core business and we may not belong to multiple SETAS. Training and development for units standards quality assured with other SETAS will be done through MOU with INSETA.
The membership with INSETA will require RSC to become accredited with QCTO when this association is fully in place. Currently we are only required to be accredited with INSETA.
All the programs we run are aligned to qualifications on the NLRD and SAQA and these can be viewed at the following website:
UOFS – University of the Free State
This University was one of the first to offer a post-graduate qualification in financial planning and of years this was the only education route to becoming a CFP with the Financial Planning Institute.
You can view information on this postgraduate program at the following website – UFS – Centre for Financial Planning Law:
http://law.ufs.ac.za/content.aspx?dcode=z02
UNISA
UNISA – offers a number of programs aimed at financial planning and qualifications at NQF 6 which can be used as a stepping stone to a Post Graduate qualification in financial planning and a CFP designation.
http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.html
SETA Links
SETA – Sector Education and Training Authority
If you require any information on the range of programs available for financial advisers to become “fit and proper” or prepare to become competent and qualified financial advisers and planners, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@rscnetwork.co.za and we would be pleased to provide some input and clarity on this fairly complex but important area.
The SETA’s are listed in order of importance to RSC
INSETA
This Seta is focussed on skills programs and qualifications for long and short term insurance industry, collective investments and financial advice. RSC is registered with them as a training provider as this sis our major focus and our accreditation as a training provider is below:
RSC INSETA Accreditation 2013.
The INSETA website follows and you can find information on funding provided to learners and companies in the financial services industry to complete Skills Programs and Qualifications:
FASSET
FASSET provides skills programs and qualifications for accounting, finance and financial markets. RSC has developed some wealth management and financial markets materials based on their unit standards.
BANKSETA
BANKSETA is focussed on skills programs and qualifications in Banking and RSC has developed material for various aspects of banking.