Chef courses in South Africa
Runs the kitchen and the shift: temperatures, allergens, cleaning and the team.
- SAATCA-registered TC 065
- FoodBev SETA-accredited 587/00337/1900
- QR-verified certificates
- No VAT added
Which courses does a chef or kitchen supervisor need?
A chef in South Africa needs 2 online courses, in this order: Allergen Management for Food Service, Retail and Catering and Introduction to HACCP. It takes about 14 hours of self-paced study. ASC is SAATCA registered (TC 065) and FoodBev SETA accredited (587/00337/1900).
In what order should chefs take these courses, and why?
A chef runs the shift where most food safety failures happen: temperatures, cross contact, cleaning and new staff. If you are the person named on the Certificate of Acceptability, Persons in Charge comes first, because R638 requires it. Allergen Management for Food Service follows, because a guest's allergen request lands in your kitchen, not in the office. Introduction to HACCP then gives you the hazard thinking behind every control you enforce on the line. The food loss and waste course is optional, for kitchens that measure what goes in the bin.
How long does the chef path take, and what does it cost?
The 2 core courses take about 14 hours of self-paced study and cost R2 645 bought one by one. At 5 hours a week that is about 3 weeks, on a phone or a laptop.
Set it against what it protects: a failed inspection or a closed premises costs a business far more than any course on this page.
Hours and prices are read from each course page. Last checked 11 October 2026.
What you get on this path
- A certificate per course, the day you passEach carries a QR code that an inspector, auditor or employer scans to verify it.
- Marked the moment you submitEvery assessment has a 70% pass mark and three attempts, with feedback that names the lesson to go back to.
- Access does not expire, so there is no deadline to finish.Start today on a phone or a laptop, stop and resume whenever you like.
- Pay online or by invoiceNo VAT is added. Teams get per-learner pricing and a manager dashboard that tracks every certificate.
Questions chefs ask before they enrol
Do I need Persons in Charge if I am not the owner?
Only if you are the person named on the Certificate of Acceptability. R638 regulation 10(1)(a) puts the training duty on the person in charge, who is often the owner but can be the head chef or kitchen manager. If someone else is named, skip Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises and start with Allergen Management for Food Service, Retail and Catering, then Introduction to HACCP.
Should a chef do Introduction to HACCP before Allergen Management?
No. In the chef path Allergen Management for Food Service, Retail and Catering comes before Introduction to HACCP, because a guest's allergen request lands in your kitchen today, while HACCP is the background to controls you already enforce. Neither course is a prerequisite for the other, so a chef can take them in either order. Together they are 14 hours and R2 645.
What is the difference between Allergen Management and Allergen Awareness?
Allergen Awareness for Food Handlers is a 5 hour, R690 course for staff on the line: recognising allergens, preventing cross contact and answering a customer correctly. Allergen Management for Food Service, Retail and Catering is a 6 hour, R1 450 course for the chef or supervisor who sets up and runs the allergen controls in the kitchen. A chef takes Allergen Management; the team takes Allergen Awareness.