Person in charge courses in South Africa
The person in charge (PIC) of a food premises under R638, named on the Certificate of Acceptability.
- SAATCA-registered TC 065
- FoodBev SETA-accredited 587/00337/1900
- QR-verified certificates
- No VAT added
Which courses does the person in charge of a food premises need?
Under Regulation R638 10(1)(a) the person in charge of a food premises needs accredited food safety training: Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises (16 hours, R1 699). Each person who handles food then needs Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers (6 hours, R899) under 10(1)(b), one enrolment per person. The municipality issues the Certificate of Acceptability after an inspection; this is the training it checks.
In what order should people in charge take these courses, and why?
Regulation R638 of 2018 puts the legal duty on the person in charge: to be suitably qualified or adequately trained, through accredited training where it applies (regulation 10(1)(a)), and to make sure every food handler is trained too (regulation 10(1)(b)). The environmental health practitioner asks for that evidence before recommending a Certificate of Acceptability. This pathway gives an owner or manager the accredited Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises certificate in 16 hours for R1 699, then Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers for each member of staff, 6 hours and R899 per enrolment. Both certificates carry a QR code the inspector can verify on the spot. It is the shortest route from an untrained premises to a CoA-ready one.
How long does the person in charge path take, and what does it cost?
The 2 core courses take about 22 hours of self-paced study and cost R2 598 bought one by one. At 5 hours a week that is about 5 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 people in charge ask before they enrol
Does the Persons in Charge course give me a Certificate of Acceptability?
No. ASC does not issue the Certificate of Acceptability; the municipality does, after an environmental health practitioner inspects the premises. Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises gives you the accredited training R638 regulation 10(1)(a) expects of the person in charge, which the inspector checks before recommending the CoA. Walk the premises with the free R638 readiness checklist before the inspection.
Must the person in charge training be accredited under R638?
Regulation 10(1)(a) of R638 says the person in charge must be trained, through accredited training where it applies. Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises is offered by ASC, which is SAATCA registered (TC 065) and FoodBev SETA accredited (587/00337/1900). The 16 hour course costs R1 699, is online and self-paced, and the certificate carries a QR code for verification.
Do my staff need Persons in Charge or just Food Handlers?
Only the person named on the Certificate of Acceptability needs Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises. Everyone else who handles food needs Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers, 6 hours and R899, one enrolment per person, to meet R638 regulation 10(1)(b). A kitchen of five people therefore needs one Persons in Charge enrolment and five Food Handlers enrolments.