Accredited food safety training in Cape Town, Western Cape.
Food safety training in Cape Town: accredited R638 and HACCP courses, online, with a certificate the City of Cape Town inspector can verify.
For restaurants, manufacturers, caterers, spaza shops and franchise groups in Cape Town and Bellville, Durbanville, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Somerset West, Strand, Claremont, Sea Point, Milnerton, Blouberg, Kuils River, Athlone and Gugulethu. Persons in Charge and Food Handlers courses for the Certificate of Acceptability from R420, HACCP and GMP for the technical team, and on-site training through the ASC Cape Town branch. SAATCA registered, FoodBev SETA accredited, certificate the day you pass.
4.9 average from 672 course reviews · 3 600+ course enrolments across South Africa · used by franchise groups including KFC and Spur
Which course do I need in Cape Town?
Pick your situation. Each one goes straight to the right course and price.
A Certificate of Acceptability for my premisesPersons in Charge · R1 699 · 8h A food handler certificate for workFood Handlers · R899 · 6h A spaza shop, tuck shop or market stallInformal Traders and Spaza Shops · R999 · 6h HACCP or GMP training for my teamThree HACCP levels from R1 195 · group pricing FSSC 22000, ISO 22000 or BRCGS certificationIntroduction, transition and implementation On-site or group training in Cape TownBulk enrolment, one invoice, manager dashboardCertificate of Acceptability in Cape Town
Who issues it, what the inspector checks, and the training you must show.
Read the full Certificate of Acceptability guide and the city by city R638 guide.
In Cape Town the Certificate of Acceptability is issued by the City of Cape Town, through its City Health, Environmental Health. An environmental health practitioner inspects the premises and recommends the certificate in the name of the person in charge, as Regulation 3 of R638 requires. Official page: City of Cape Town: apply for a Certificate of Acceptability.
Whoever issues it, the inspection follows the same regulation. R638 requires the person in charge to be trained (regulation 10(1)(d)) and to keep a record that every food handler has been trained, and the inspector can ask for those records at any visit. Certificates from ASC show the accreditation details and a QR code, so the record is verifiable on the spot.
Cape Town combines a tourism and restaurant economy with a serious food manufacturing base: the Cape Town Market at Epping is the only fresh produce market in the Western Cape trading the full basket of produce, and Epping, Montague Gardens and Paarden Eiland hold hundreds of food processors, bakeries, fisheries and cold stores. Industrial and food-manufacturing areas we train in include Epping, Montague Gardens, Paarden Eiland, Killarney Gardens, Airport Industria, Blackheath, Parow Industria and Philippi.
- Persons in Charge for the owner or manager named on the certificate
- Food Handlers for every person who touches food, drink or packaging
- Records: training register, illness reports, cleaning, temperature and pest control (regulation 10)
- Documents: the R638 toolkit gives you the policies, forms and registers, 15% off with a course
Where to apply in Cape Town
Where and how to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability in Cape Town.
City of Cape Town, City Health, Environmental Health, through the environmental health office for the suburb where the premises is, or online through the City’s e-Services portal. Contact details below were checked against the municipality’s own website on 6 September 2026; phone before you travel, because offices, hours and numbers change.
Offices and contacts
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Bellville | 7A Midmar Street, Groenvallei | 021 400 6101 |
| Brackenfell | Paradys Street, Brackenfell | 021 400 3845 |
| Durbanville | Corner Oxford and Queen Streets, Durbanville | 021 444 0734 |
| Fezeka (Gugulethu) | Corner Steve Biko and Govan Mbeki Roads, Gugulethu | 021 400 1920 |
| Khayelitsha | 50A Ncumo Road, Khayelitsha | 021 444 2350 |
| Kraaifontein | Brighton Road, Kraaifontein | 021 444 6738 |
| Kuils River | Van Riebeeck Street, Kuils River | 021 400 2612 |
| Lakeside | 1 Bogey Road, Lakeside | 021 444 1654 |
| Maitland | Berkley Road Complex, Maitland | 021 444 1739 |
| Milnerton | Bridal Way, Royal Ascot, Milnerton | 021 444 5648 |
| Mitchells Plain | Simonsig Avenue, Westridge | 021 400 4075 |
| Nyanga | Nyanga Training Centre, corner New Eisleben and Old Klipfontein Roads | 021 400 4076 |
| Parow | 23 Klosser Street, Parow | 021 444 0853 |
| Plumstead | 3 Victoria Road, Plumstead | 021 444 3259 |
| Silvertown (Athlone) | 16 Petunia Street, Silvertown | 021 444 6643 |
| Strand | Corner Main and Fagan Streets, Strand | 021 444 5032 |
| Wynberg | Lower Maynard Road, Wynberg | 021 400 2767 |
City of Cape Town call centre 0860 103 089. Online applications run through e-Services once the Environmental Health service is activated on your municipal account.
Official pages and forms
How to apply
- Register on e-Services and activate the Environmental Health service, or collect a paper form from the office for your area.
- Complete the application and upload or hand in the documents.
- An environmental health practitioner inspects the premises: design and construction, food safety practices, waste and pest control, general hygiene.
- The certificate is issued in the name of the owner or person in charge. A separate business licence is needed if you prepare meals.
Documents to prepare
- ID of the person in charge (and an authorisation letter plus ID if a proxy applies)
- A layout plan or approved building plan at 1:50 showing equipment and areas, for a building
- Proof of address, and for the inspection: training records, the pest control programme, temperature, cleaning and stock records and a supplier list
Fee and turnaround
No application fee (City of Cape Town Certificate of Acceptability FAQ). Ten working days when the documentation is complete (City FAQ).
What the inspector checks
Structural design and construction, food safety practices, waste and pest control and general hygiene, plus zoning: an application is held back until proof of zoning is supplied where special consent is needed.
City Health employs 209 environmental health practitioners and carried out more than 25 000 inspections and 4 605 food samples between July 2023 and May 2024 (City food safety FAQ). Food premises are visited at least twice a year.
Courses Cape Town businesses buy most
Six courses cover almost every food premises in Cape Town.
- Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises ★ 4.77 (101) R1 699 Enrol
- Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers ★ 4.76 (58) R899 Enrol
- Basic Food Hygiene Awareness for Food Handlers ★ 4.86 (21) R420 Enrol
-
Food Safety Practices for Informal Traders and Spaza Shops
★ 4.88 (8)
R1 195R999 Enrol - Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices ★ 5.00 (3) R1 950 Enrol
- Introduction to HACCP ★ 4.90 (10) R1 195 Enrol
- Basic Food Safety Document Templates Toolkit Templates Documents R699 View toolkit
Prices are the price you pay; no VAT is charged. The Basic Food Safety Bundle covers Persons in Charge, Food Handlers and Hygiene Awareness together at R2 360. HACCP for Supervisors and Advanced HACCP, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, BRCGS and GLOBALG.A.P. are on the Enrol page.
Who trains with ASC in Cape Town
Written for the food businesses that operate in Cape Town.
The V&A Waterfront, the City Bowl, the Atlantic Seaboard, Constantia and the Helderberg run some of the country’s busiest kitchens. Persons in Charge for the manager, Food Handlers for the crew, certificates the same day.
Processors and exporters in Epping, Montague Gardens and Paarden Eiland train to GMP, HACCP, FSSC 22000 and BRCGS because their retail and export customers audit against them.
Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Philippi, Gugulethu and Nyanga traders apply to City Health for a Certificate of Acceptability. The Informal Traders and Spaza Shops course fits that application.
School feeding, hospital and care home kitchens, events caterers and cloud kitchens across the metro are food premises under R638 and are inspected the same way.
On-site and in-house training
Train a Cape Town kitchen, plant or franchise group on one dashboard.
The ASC Cape Town branch in Rondebosch runs on-site training across the metro and the Winelands, and the Western Cape team also serves the Garden Route and the Northern Cape.
- Send the learner countWhatsApp or the contact form. Quote within one working day, one invoice, no VAT.
- Learners train online or on sitePhone, tablet or laptop, in a day for the R638 courses. On-site sessions through the Cape Town branch.
- Manager dashboardSee who has finished, download certificates, and hand the inspector a training record for every site.
Add the documents. The Basic Food Safety Document Templates Toolkit (R699, 40+ editable Word and Excel policies, procedures, forms and checklists aligned to R638) is 15% off when you buy it with any R638 course. Tell us on WhatsApp +27 61 483 0381 or the contact form which course you are enrolling in, and we invoice both with the discount applied.
Questions from Cape Town
What Cape Town food businesses ask before they enrol.
Anything else, message us on WhatsApp during office hours or use the support page.
Who issues the Certificate of Acceptability in Cape Town?
City of Cape Town. Under Regulation R638 an environmental health practitioner from the municipality inspects the food premises and the certificate is issued in the name of the person in charge. Apply before you start trading, and again when the person in charge or the nature of the business changes.
Does the inspector in Cape Town accept an online food safety certificate?
R638 does not prescribe classroom or online training. It requires the person in charge to be trained and to make sure every food handler is trained (regulation 10(1)(d)), and to produce the records on request. ASC certificates carry the SAATCA (TC 065) and FoodBev SETA (587/00337/1900) accreditation details and a QR code that an inspector can scan to verify the learner and the course, which is what inspectors in Cape Town and across South Africa check.
Which course do I need for a Certificate of Acceptability in Cape Town?
The owner or manager takes Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises (R1 699, 8h). Every person who handles food takes Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers (R899, 6h) or, for a first job in food, Basic Food Hygiene Awareness (R420, 4h). Spaza shops and informal traders have their own course. All of them are online and self-paced, and the certificate downloads the day you pass.
Where do I apply for a Certificate of Acceptability in Cape Town?
Through City of Cape Town. Offices: Bellville at 7A Midmar Street, Groenvallei (021 400 6101); Brackenfell at Paradys Street, Brackenfell (021 400 3845); Durbanville at Corner Oxford and Queen Streets, Durbanville (021 444 0734); Fezeka (Gugulethu) at Corner Steve Biko and Govan Mbeki Roads, Gugulethu (021 400 1920). City of Cape Town call centre 0860 103 089. Online applications run through e-Services once the Environmental Health service is activated on your municipal account. The full office list, documents and fees are in the ‘Where to apply’ section of this page.
How quickly can my Cape Town staff be certified?
The same day. The Persons in Charge course takes about eight hours and Food Handlers about six; most learners finish in one sitting on a phone or laptop. Certificates are QR-verified and download the moment the final assessment is passed, so a new hire can be trained before their first shift.
Can ASC train my team on site in Cape Town?
Yes. The ASC Cape Town branch in Rondebosch runs on-site training across the metro and the Winelands, and the Western Cape team also serves the Garden Route and the Northern Cape. Groups of any size also train online with one invoice and a manager dashboard that shows who has finished, with certificates ready for the inspector. Franchise groups including KFC and Spur outlets train their managers with ASC.
Do you cover the rest of Western Cape, not only Cape Town?
Yes. This page covers Cape Town and Bellville, Durbanville, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Somerset West, Strand, Claremont, Sea Point, Milnerton, Blouberg, Kuils River, Athlone and Gugulethu. Online courses are available anywhere with a connection, and on-site training is quoted for the whole province. See the city and province index for the other areas ASC serves.
Also serving
Food safety training near Cape Town.
This page covers Cape Town and Bellville, Durbanville, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Somerset West, Strand, Claremont, Sea Point, Milnerton, Blouberg, Kuils River, Athlone and Gugulethu; searches for food safety training in Cape Peninsula, Northern Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, Helderberg and Western Cape land here for a reason. Other areas: