QCTO Venue Limitation: Two SDPs Per Training Site?
September 14, 2026
Yes, you need a LMIS but the exact type you need depends…
If you deliver blended/hybrid training and if you deliver high volumes or long programmes, a dedicated LMIS is certainly required and practical.
If you deliver face-to-face only and a run fewer courses that are short, a secure Excel spreadsheet can be enough.
QCTO give you a spreadsheet and require you use it according to their instructions for learner enrolment. So not only is a spreadsheet ok for basic tracking, spreadsheetes are actually required by QCTO…
A Learning Management Information System (LMIS) is simply a structured way to track learner progress. At its core, it records enrolments, attendance, assessments, and results. It must also do this securely, in line with POPIA, and allow you to generate reports for audits or compliance purposes.
While an LMIS can also support delivery and assessment, at the most basic level it is about tracking learners accurately and safely.
Yes. Every Skills Development Provider must have some form of LMIS to track learner progress and store results. Even if you are face-to-face only, QCTO will expect to see a reliable and secure recordkeeping system.
Yes! And in fact, QCTO currently requires it.
When you receive your accreditation letter, QCTO provides you with an Excel template. This spreadsheet is used to capture learner enrolments and FISA results, and you must submit it using QCTO’s data load specifications and codes.
So not only is Excel allowed – it is the official format required for reporting to QCTO. (I provide a cheat sheet for this as part of the Guide for the Newly Accredited, available in the online shop and client portal.)
It depends on your delivery mode and learner volumes:
Face-to-face, small scale, short courses (2–8 credits, days or weeks, not years): A structured Excel system can serve as your LMIS. This is common for OHS and first aid SDPs.
High volume learners or long, multi-module programmes:
Spreadsheets become impractical. A dedicated LMIS or LMS is strongly recommended to manage records, automate reporting, and ensure compliance.
If you select “Hybrid / Blended” delivery on your QCTO application:
A proper online LMS is required. Form 5 makes it clear that you must show evidence of devices, internet access, licensed software, and learner support systems. A patchwork of WhatsApp, Zoom, PDFs, and Excel may work in practice, but an auditor will almost certainly mark you as non-compliant.
Even if learners use their own devices, the provider must still demonstrate access to appropriate infrastructure and resources. Having “only a web-based login” without your own supporting resources is a red flag.
The Lime Green QMS includes policies and procedures to support hybrid/eLearning compliance (see online shop). But remember, policies alone are not enough. You will also need dedicated resources, infrastructure, and systems in place if you intend to deliver training through blended or online modes.
QCTO offers the option of blended learning when you submit your application. If you tick that box, make sure you can back it up with the right systems and evidence.
Lime Green does not supply an LMS at this stage, and has not tested any system to the point where it can be endorsed. My recommendation is simply that your chosen the system is based on the Moodle open source LMS, and then further customised by a competent developer for use in the South African accredited training landscape. If it can generate spreadsheets to align with QCTO’s learner enrolment requirements, and specific coding and data load specifications and formats, that would be ideal.