The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) have strengthened their cooperation to advance engineering standards and professional mobility across Africa. The two bodies convened a two-day bilateral engagement from Wednesday, 28 to Thursday, 29 January 2026, focused on engineering regulation and professional development.
Supporting Zambia’s Washington Accord Application
The engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to align Zambia’s engineering standards with internationally recognised best practices. It supports EIZ’s preparation to submit its application for provisional or full signatory status of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) under the Washington Accord. The application will be presented at the IEA Meetings in Cape Town from 7 to 12 June 2026.
Collaboration between ECSA and EIZ began in 2019, with ECSA providing mentorship support to strengthen EIZ’s accreditation systems in line with the IEA qualification standards, underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions. While progress was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022, momentum has since been regained.
A Milestone in Zambia’s Accreditation Journey
Commenting on the progress, Eng. Kennedy Musonda, FEIZ, Vice President: Policy, Public Relations and National Development at EIZ, noted that Zambia now has 12 universities offering engineering programmes accredited by EIZ as part of a pilot phase, marking a significant milestone in the country’s accreditation journey. This follows ECSA’s previous mentorship of the Institute of Engineers (Mauritius) in a similar process.
The bilateral programme focused on cooperation and technical alignment in key areas central to professional credibility and public trust in engineering, including:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Professional Registration
- Accreditation and Post-Accreditation Systems
Strengthening the Profession Across the Continent
The meeting underscored the importance of collaboration between African engineering institutions in strengthening professionalism, credibility and engineering outcomes that support sustainable development. As the regulator of the engineering profession in South Africa, ECSA remains focused on safeguarding the public, while also playing an enabling role by supporting initiatives that build institutional capability and promote the recognition of engineering qualifications and competence across borders.
“This bilateral engagement with the Engineering Institution of Zambia reflects ECSA’s commitment to strengthening engineering regulation across the continent in a way that supports public safety, professional credibility and mobility. As an effective regulator, assuring public safety, we are also intentional about enabling our peers through knowledge exchange, mentorship and practical collaboration, building standards for the benefit of the engineering fraternity and the communities we serve,” said Ms Niniza Mtshali, Executive: Acting Regulatory Services & International Relations at ECSA.
To support this work, Prof. K. Nyembwe, ECSA Lead Mentor and a recognised expert in accreditation, has been appointed to guide the EIZ as it advances its accreditation and international recognition journey. Prof. Nyembwe indicated that the preparatory work is as good as done, with the next milestone being EIZ’s formal defence of its application at the IEA meetings in Cape Town, after submission. The outcome will determine whether Zambia becomes the second African country mentored by ECSA to achieve provisional or full recognition under the Washington Accord.
About ECSA
The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is the statutory body established under the Engineering Profession Act, 46 of 2000, mandated to regulate the engineering profession in South Africa. ECSA is responsible for the accreditation of engineering programmes, the registration of engineering practitioners, and upholding professional and ethical standards across the profession.
Issued by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
ECSA Media Contact
Sybil Dlamini, Manager: Marketing and Communication
Email: sybil@ecsa.co.za | Tel: 073 623 8275
Website: www.ecsa.co.za
This article is based on an official ECSA press release. Read the original statement.
