Northlink College was established in 2002, following the merger of fTheir colleges in the northern suburbs of the greater Cape Town Metropole, namely Wingfield Technical College (three campuses: Wingfield, Goodwood and Table Bay), Tygerberg College (Tygerberg and Parow) and Bellville Technical College. In 2005 Northlink bought Belhar College, a private institution.

The name is a combination of "north" (reflecting the geographical positioning of the institution in Cape Town) and "link" (which describes the initial linking of the former colleges). More importantly, it illustrates the critical connection betTheyen school education and the world of work.