Layer 3 · Specialist Credentials

Professional Cohorts

Three cross-industry specialist cohorts for professionals whose work directly shapes how AI is governed, regulated, or overseen. Prerequisite: Layer 1 Core Certification.

The three professional cohorts — AI Policy, AI Governance, and AI Regulation — are cross-industry by design. A healthcare lawyer, a government policy analyst, and a corporate compliance officer complete the same cohort together. The shared framework applied across different sector contexts is a deliberate choice: AI governance and regulation are cross-cutting disciplines. The peer diversity is part of the value.

Format: 4-week intensives · One live session per week (90 min) · Asynchronous case work between sessions · Max 20 learners · Domain expert assessor (not a facilitator) · Written capstone in Week 4
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AI Policy Cohort
Certified AI Policy Practitioner™
For: Policy analysts · Government advisors · Researchers · Advocacy professionals · Civil servants

Designed for professionals who write, evaluate, or influence AI-related policy decisions at an organisational, sectoral, or national level. The cohort covers both the South African landscape and the international frameworks shaping it.

Week 1
SA AI Policy Landscape
DCDT AI strategy, Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, national AI roadmap gaps, current policy instruments and their limitations. Case: the April 2026 AI hallucination incident.
Week 2
International Frameworks
African Union AI Policy Framework, EU AI Act key provisions, UK pro-innovation approach, OECD AI Principles. How global frameworks are being adopted and adapted in the SA context.
Week 3
Writing & Evaluating AI Policy
Policy impact assessment methodology for AI deployments, structuring public participation processes, evidence standards for AI policy claims, evaluating vendor AI policy submissions.
Week 4 — Capstone
Policy Evaluation
Evaluate a real current SA AI policy document and produce a structured recommendation of 800–1200 words. Assessed by a domain expert. One revision opportunity if below standard.
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AI Governance Cohort
Certified AI Governance Practitioner™
For: Compliance officers · Risk managers · Internal auditors · Board advisors · Legal counsel

Designed for professionals responsible for ensuring their organisation's AI use is governed, audited, and accountable. The cohort covers both the frameworks available and the practical reality of implementing them in South African organisations.

Week 1
AI Governance Frameworks
ISO 42001 AI Management System requirements, NIST AI Risk Management Framework, King IV on technology governance, SA Companies Act implications. Comparative analysis for SA organisations.
Week 2
Organisational AI Governance Design
Building AI risk registers, designing approval and escalation workflows, incident response protocols for AI failures, POPIA compliance checkpoints in AI procurement. Practical templates.
Week 3
Board-Level AI Oversight
Reporting AI risk to boards and audit committees, non-executive director responsibilities, audit protocols for AI systems, connecting AI governance to existing enterprise risk management structures.
Week 4 — Capstone
Governance Framework Design
Design an AI governance framework for a real organisational context, including a risk register template, a board reporting structure, and an incident escalation protocol. Assessed by a domain expert.
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AI Regulation Cohort
Certified AI Regulation Practitioner™
For: Lawyers · Regulators · Legal counsel · Compliance specialists · FSCA / ICASA / SAHPRA staff

Designed for professionals who advise on, draft, or enforce AI-related legal and regulatory requirements. The cohort moves through the existing SA legal landscape, sector-specific regulatory approaches, and comparative international frameworks.

Week 1
SA AI Legal Landscape
POPIA enforcement applied to AI systems, ECT Act implications for automated decisions, Employment Equity Act AI exposure, National Credit Act and AI credit scoring, Companies Act director liability for AI decisions.
Week 2
Sector Regulators & AI
FSCA-PA 2025 guidance on AI in financial services, ICASA and AI in communications, SAHPRA and AI medical devices, HPCSA clinical AI guidance. How regulators are interpreting existing frameworks for AI contexts.
Week 3
Global Comparators & Liability
EU AI Act obligations and SA implications, UK pro-innovation approach, product liability frameworks applied to AI systems, drafting AI regulatory guidance, anticipating South Africa's emerging AI legislation.
Week 4 — Capstone
Regulatory Guidance Note
Draft a regulatory guidance note for a specific AI use case in a South African sector, covering the applicable legal framework, key obligations, and recommended compliance approach. Assessed by a domain expert.
Prerequisite for all Layer 3 cohorts: Layer 1 Core Certification (Certified AI-Ready Professional™) or demonstrated equivalent competency assessed on application. Learners without Layer 1 certification must submit a portfolio of evidence for pre-assessment.
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