Based on recent customer reviews, AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence receives strong praise for its lecturers and teaching quality, with names like Anne-Marie Jordaan, Preshni Govender, Ebrahim Peer and Brendon Magwagwa singled out for patient, hands-on support, alongside helpful advisors and reception staff. However, sentiment is sharply divided by administration. Many students and parents report certificates from completed courses never being issued, unanswered enquiries and ticket queries, student advisors who never call back, disputes over refunds and cooling-off periods, and courses feeling misrepresented at registration.
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Reply time on negative reviews: 18h 11m
TrustIndex
5.6
Ranking
#23
in Education & Training
Reply Time
14h 7m
NPS Score
20
Recommended: Likely
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Reply time on negative reviews: 18h 11m
Nov '25 - Oct '26
Frequently Asked Questions About AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence
What do customers say about AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence?
Based on recent customer reviews, AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence receives strong praise for its lecturers and teaching quality, with names like Anne-Marie Jordaan, Preshni Govender, Ebrahim Peer and Brendon Magwagwa singled out for patient, hands-on support, alongside helpful advisors and reception staff. However, sentiment is sharply divided by administration. Many students and parents report certificates from completed courses never being issued, unanswered enquiries and ticket queries, student advisors who never call back, disputes over refunds and cooling-off periods, and courses feeling misrepresented at registration.
Is AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence trustworthy?
AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence has a TrustIndex of 5.6 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 32 reviews in the last 12 months. They reply to 100% of negative reviews, typically within 18 hours 11 min. Hellopeter has tracked AIE - Academic Institute of Excellence across 218 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (32)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Jul 2024
Bad service possible ****
Ive never had such bad service The course I enrolled for is supposed to be 4 months of which Ive paid 2 months. I never even got my 1st assignment results and now they said they will send me a certificate. This is clearly a ****
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2024
Bad service possible ****
Ive never had such bad service The course I enrolled for is supposed to be 4 months of which Ive paid 2 months. I never even got my 1st assignment results and now they said they will send me a certificate. This is clearly a ****
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
Vague responses, changing deadlines and an impossible payment demand
I am a 20-year-old N4/N5 Draughting student at the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE), and I am writing this review to highlight the severely poor administration and miscommunication that has left me in an impossible financial and academic position. I needed to re-register for certain subjects and received an invoice for R1100. I questioned this amount as it differed from what I expected, and — critically — I directly asked AIE whether this was the full and final amount I needed to pay, or whether I would be directed to pay for my re-do subjects separately afterwards. This was a clear, specific question. After waiting 4-5 days for a response (while a deadline was approaching), I received the reply: "The invoice has been amended. Please find your revised statement." I paid the R550 immediately, in good faith, believing this was the corrected and complete amount owed — which is the natural interpretation of the word "revised." Approximately a week later, I received a generic automated email about re-registration for Intake 3. Believing it to be a mass email, I queried whether it app**** to me. I was told yes, and that I still needed to make a payment. I was then presented with an invoice for R16,500 — with only 5 to 7 days remaining before the 30 September deadline. When I raised the impossibility of this, AIE offered a payment plan requiring a R7,000 deposit — still completely unachievable for a student on a loan — with monthly payments of R1,600. To make matters worse, the deadline for this arrangement changed multiple times: first 30 September, then 25 September, then 28 September. This level of inconsistency makes proper financial planning impossible. This is not acceptable for the following reasons: 1. My direct question about whether the amount was the full and final payment was never answered clearly. The response I received — "revised statement" — imp**** it was. 2. A 20-year-old student on a loan cannot reasonably arrange R16,500, or even a R7,000 deposit, in 5-7 days. 3. I was later informed that if I do not complete my N4 subjects in this intake, I will be unable to obtain my qualification — as N4 is being discontinued after this cycle. This means AIE's poor communication has potentially cost me my entire qualification. 4. AIE's support tickets consistently take days to receive responses, and when responses do come, they are vague and do not actually address the question asked. I understand that re-doing subjects is my responsibility. However, I was misled by AIE's own wording, given an impossible payment deadline that kept changing, and left without clear guidance at every step. The consequence of their administrative failure is that I may lose access to a qualification I have been working toward — through no fault of my own in this specific situation. I am requesting that AIE acknowledge the miscommunication and ensure that no student loses their qualification due to an administrative failure of this nature. Student number: ***
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
Vague responses, changing deadlines and an impossible payment demand
I am a 20-year-old N4/N5 Draughting student at the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE), and I am writing this review to highlight the severely poor administration and miscommunication that has left me in an impossible financial and academic position. I needed to re-register for certain subjects and received an invoice for R1100. I questioned this amount as it differed from what I expected, and — critically — I directly asked AIE whether this was the full and final amount I needed to pay, or whether I would be directed to pay for my re-do subjects separately afterwards. This was a clear, specific question. After waiting 4-5 days for a response (while a deadline was approaching), I received the reply: "The invoice has been amended. Please find your revised statement." I paid the R550 immediately, in good faith, believing this was the corrected and complete amount owed — which is the natural interpretation of the word "revised." Approximately a week later, I received a generic automated email about re-registration for Intake 3. Believing it to be a mass email, I queried whether it app**** to me. I was told yes, and that I still needed to make a payment. I was then presented with an invoice for R16,500 — with only 5 to 7 days remaining before the 30 September deadline. When I raised the impossibility of this, AIE offered a payment plan requiring a R7,000 deposit — still completely unachievable for a student on a loan — with monthly payments of R1,600. To make matters worse, the deadline for this arrangement changed multiple times: first 30 September, then 25 September, then 28 September. This level of inconsistency makes proper financial planning impossible. This is not acceptable for the following reasons: 1. My direct question about whether the amount was the full and final payment was never answered clearly. The response I received — "revised statement" — imp**** it was. 2. A 20-year-old student on a loan cannot reasonably arrange R16,500, or even a R7,000 deposit, in 5-7 days. 3. I was later informed that if I do not complete my N4 subjects in this intake, I will be unable to obtain my qualification — as N4 is being discontinued after this cycle. This means AIE's poor communication has potentially cost me my entire qualification. 4. AIE's support tickets consistently take days to receive responses, and when responses do come, they are vague and do not actually address the question asked. I understand that re-doing subjects is my responsibility. However, I was misled by AIE's own wording, given an impossible payment deadline that kept changing, and left without clear guidance at every step. The consequence of their administrative failure is that I may lose access to a qualification I have been working toward — through no fault of my own in this specific situation. I am requesting that AIE acknowledge the miscommunication and ensure that no student loses their qualification due to an administrative failure of this nature. Student number: ***
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2020
The AIE trap
The evening class lecturers are great, too bad the rest of the institution is useless. A constant uphill battle from registration and now a year after my son completed all his classes and submitted all required workplace experience evidence and documentation there is still no final exam. Their standard "go-to" is to pass the buck. QCTO and MICTSETA are apparently to blame. How can they sell you something that ends in a dead end without securing the full process. If there is no guarantee that the final exam administrated by the external party will exist, then how can they sell the qualification. Selling a product that can't be delivered is *****, isn't it? But just don't expect them to be honest and repay you for the product they can't deliver. Oh no, they hanging onto that money with both hands.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2020
The AIE trap
The evening class lecturers are great, too bad the rest of the institution is useless. A constant uphill battle from registration and now a year after my son completed all his classes and submitted all required workplace experience evidence and documentation there is still no final exam. Their standard "go-to" is to pass the buck. QCTO and MICTSETA are apparently to blame. How can they sell you something that ends in a dead end without securing the full process. If there is no guarantee that the final exam administrated by the external party will exist, then how can they sell the qualification. Selling a product that can't be delivered is *****, isn't it? But just don't expect them to be honest and repay you for the product they can't deliver. Oh no, they hanging onto that money with both hands.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2025
Would just like to send a massive shout out to Kgotso Malohle for the exceptional service
Would just like to send a massive shout out to Kgotso Malohle for the exceptional service. I’ve never had such an easy and straightforward experience before! 10/10 recommend. Thank you! 🙏
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2025
Would just like to send a massive shout out to Kgotso Malohle for the exceptional service
Would just like to send a massive shout out to Kgotso Malohle for the exceptional service. I’ve never had such an easy and straightforward experience before! 10/10 recommend. Thank you! 🙏
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2018
Two months. Countless enquiries. No advisor. No answers. No excuse.
I have submitted multiple enquiries regarding studying through AIE over the past two months. Each time, I receive a response stating that a student advisor will contact me, yet I have received no follow-up whatsoever. I have also made several attempts to contact AIE via WhatsApp and other channels, all without success. This level of service is extremely concerning and disappointing, particularly given AIE’s previous reputation. The lack of communication and apparent disregard for prospective students raises serious concerns about the institution’s current standard of service. I strongly urge AIE to address this matter and provide clarity on why repeated enquiries are being ignored.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2018
Two months. Countless enquiries. No advisor. No answers. No excuse.
I have submitted multiple enquiries regarding studying through AIE over the past two months. Each time, I receive a response stating that a student advisor will contact me, yet I have received no follow-up whatsoever. I have also made several attempts to contact AIE via WhatsApp and other channels, all without success. This level of service is extremely concerning and disappointing, particularly given AIE’s previous reputation. The lack of communication and apparent disregard for prospective students raises serious concerns about the institution’s current standard of service. I strongly urge AIE to address this matter and provide clarity on why repeated enquiries are being ignored.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2010
Reap-off
This institution is a reap off they took money and when I cancelled within cooling off period they wanted to charge me extra money. When I queried 4 times I got 4 different answers. To this day I don't have answers . When I told them I cannot pay they kept quiet.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2010
Reap-off
This institution is a reap off they took money and when I cancelled within cooling off period they wanted to charge me extra money. When I queried 4 times I got 4 different answers. To this day I don't have answers . When I told them I cannot pay they kept quiet.
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2016
A Modern, Career-Focused Learning Experience
I’ve had a really positive experience with AIE. The staff are approachable and helpful, and there’s a clear focus on giving students practical skills that are relevant beyond the classroom. I also like that AIE feels modern and career-focused rather than overly traditional. Communication has generally been good, and whenever I’ve needed help or had questions, I’ve been able to get assistance. Overall, I’d recommend AIE to anyone looking for a practical and career-focused place to study.
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2016
A Modern, Career-Focused Learning Experience
I’ve had a really positive experience with AIE. The staff are approachable and helpful, and there’s a clear focus on giving students practical skills that are relevant beyond the classroom. I also like that AIE feels modern and career-focused rather than overly traditional. Communication has generally been good, and whenever I’ve needed help or had questions, I’ve been able to get assistance. Overall, I’d recommend AIE to anyone looking for a practical and career-focused place to study.