All three are external quality assurance agencies. However, the main differences in the roles of these bodies are:
- The NCHE is responsible for quality assurance in higher education (HE).
- The NQA is mainly responsible for administering the NQF, but it is also responsible for accrediting persons, institutions and organizations providing education and courses of instruction or training.
- The NTA is responsible for quality assurance in Vocational Education and Training (VET).