Learning without limits: How Richfield opens doors through online learning

For too long, education has been seen as a straight line: finish school, go to college, land your dream job. Easy, right? Except life rarely works like that. People take gap years, support their families, change careers, and hit speed bumps. The expected path isn’t always possible, or even the right fit.

In South Africa, thousands of people are missing out on furthering their studies, not because they don’t want to, but because the traditional system doesn’t work for them. Over a quarter of young people weren’t in any form of education in 2022, with the top reasons being financial limitations, needing to work, or simply not having a college or university nearby.

Not everyone can afford to study full time, relocate to a city, or put their life on hold to earn a degree. But that doesn’t mean they should miss out. Richfield understands that life isn’t a straight line, and neither is learning. That’s why its online degrees, diplomas, and higher certificates are designed to provide world-class education that adapts to students and their real lives.

When life gets in the way of learning

Earlier this year, Richfield partnered with the Expresso Morning Show to launch a national bursary competition. The competition offered a full academic bursary valued at R180,000 and a laptop to one student ready to change their life through education.

What started as a campaign became a moving reflection of just how many people are still held back by traditional systems. Countless responses flooded in, not just from young matriculants, but from working parents, mid-career professionals, and everyday South Africans who had to put their dreams on hold because life got in the way.

Many shared deeply personal stories. One entrant spoke of cleaning toilets for income before finding a way back to education. Others credited their parents, grandparents, or even themselves for pushing through despite loss, poverty, or lack of support. Each story had a common thread: the desire to learn had never left but access, time, money, and life circumstances made it feel out of reach.

This is why Richfield’s commitment to fully online learning matters. It meets people where they are, whether that’s juggling a job, raising children, or living far from a campus. The need for higher education hasn’t changed, but how we deliver it has to. Richfield’s programmes prove that it’s possible to earn a world-class qualification without uprooting your life.

Life isn’t a straight line, neither is learning

For over 35 years, Richfield has been challenging the traditional ideas of who studies, how they study, and when. To break down the barriers that hold so many back, it offers a fully online learning model that puts access and real-world value at the centre. Its programmes include an online MBA, undergraduate and honours degrees in IT and Business, and various diplomas and higher certificates in Business and IT.

Whether you’re starting a diploma, chasing a degree, or aiming for a postgraduate qualification, you can do it without quitting your job, relocating, or putting your life on hold. Here’s how Richfield’s Distance Learning portfolio makes it happen:

• Study from anywhere: No classrooms, no commutes. You can study from anywhere.

• Gain career-ready skills: Earn qualifications designed around the demands of today’s job market, and have the option to earn certifications from global leaders like IBM, AWS, Oracle, and CIMA.

• Feel supported: From academic advisors to technical support, an online platform, and a dedicated app, Richfield gives students the tools and guidance to succeed.

Learning shouldn’t come with ultimatums. With Richfield, you don’t have to choose between studying and working. Or between growing your career and being there for your family. You can do it all, from anywhere.

Richfield’s mid-year intake for 2025 is now open, which means you don’t have to pause your studies any further. Visit the Richfield website today and begin your new chapter from July 2025.