Abstract
While there is broad consensus about the relevance of open and distance learning (ODL) to the teaching and learning delivery in higher education, there is limited research about the challenges facing distance learning institutions, especially those with pre-service teacher training. South Africa is one of the countries in Africa with strong open and distance learning system, with thousands of individuals obtaining their teaching qualifications annually. As established in literature, the training of sufficient teaching manpower for the continent of Africa might require the building of one new university per week for the next twenty years, had open and distance learning system not discovered. However, this review identified many challenges in the ODL based pre-service teacher training, especially in the areas of learners' support system, communication and feedback, school-based mentoring of student teachers, as well as meeting the needs of students that are living with disabilities. The paper recommends some measures for stakeholders to strengthen ODL based pre-service teacher training so that it meets the 21st century demand for quality teachers.