Professional Designations
A Directors Association designation marks a director's progression from trained to credentialed — formal recognition that a member has met a defined standard of governance knowledge, competence and ethics, earned through structured training and Board Exams, not simply attendance.
- Professional Director PD(SA) — the foundational designation for company directors, grounded in company law, corporate governance and the core duties and responsibilities of serving on a board.
- Qualified Director QD(SA) — an advanced designation for directors serving on more complex boards, including JSE-listed companies, covering the additional legal, regulatory and governance demands of that environment.
- Certified Chair CC(SA) — a specialised designation for directors chairing, or preparing to chair, a board, focused on the leadership, meeting management and governance oversight the role demands.
- Certified Company Secretary CCS(SA) — a designation for company secretaries, recognising the technical and governance expertise required to support the board and keep it compliant.
- Professional Public Servant PPS(SA) — for directors and senior officials serving on public sector boards and state-owned entities, recognising the particular governance, accountability and public-interest standards that role demands.
Each designation is awarded only once a member has completed the relevant training and passed the required Board Exams, and is maintained through ongoing good-standing membership.
