During 2008 the Skills Development Act, Act 97 of 1998, was amended to strengthen national policy that governs artisan development in South Africa. One of the critical outcomes of the amendment was the establishment of a NAMB on 30th November 2010 in the DHET. The NAMB is established in terms of Section 26A (1)(a) of the Skills Development Act , Act 97 of 1998 as an operational unit within the Department of Higher Education and Training with statutory functions. The NAMB is an integral part of the DHET and not a public entity or a state owned company. The Director-General of the DHET has implemented the process to operationalise the NAMB by allocating the NAMB to the National Artisan Development (INDLELA) Chief Directorate which is a Chief Directorate located at Olifantsfontein, Gauteng and falls within the Skills Branch of the DHET.
Participation in the WorldSkills South Africa (WSSA) Competition offers a vehicle through which the DHET can facilitate the achievement of strategic imperatives such as: