Accredited food safety training in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Food safety training in Durban: accredited R638 and HACCP courses, online, with a certificate the eThekwini inspector can verify.
For restaurants, manufacturers, caterers, spaza shops and franchise groups in Durban and Umhlanga, Pinetown, Amanzimtoti, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Umlazi, Westville, Hillcrest, Isipingo, Verulam, Tongaat and KwaMashu. 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 Johannesburg 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 Durban?
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 DurbanBulk enrolment, one invoice, manager dashboardCertificate of Acceptability in Durban
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 Durban the Certificate of Acceptability is issued by the eThekwini Municipality, through its Health Unit, Environmental Health Services. 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: eThekwini Certificate of Acceptability application form (PDF).
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.
Durban is South Africa’s busiest port city: the Durban Container Terminal is the largest on the continent, the Durban Fresh Produce Market at Clairwood turned over R2.3 billion in the 2024/25 year, and the Prospecton, Jacobs, Mobeni and Pinetown belts hold sugar, edible oil, beverage, seafood and general food manufacturing. Industrial and food-manufacturing areas we train in include Prospecton, Jacobs, Mobeni, Clairwood, Pinetown, New Germany, Westmead, Springfield Park, Riverhorse Valley and Cornubia.
- 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 Durban
Where and how to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability in Durban.
eThekwini Municipality Health Unit, Environmental Health Services, through the sub-district environmental health office nearest the premises. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Health head office (walk-in) | 9 Archie Gumede Place, Durban 4001 | 031 311 3508 and 031 311 3690 |
| South 4 (central Durban) | Old Fort Place, City Health, 1st Floor | 031 311 3587 |
| South 3 (Clairwood) | 81 Flower Road, Clairwood | 031 311 5153 |
| South 5 and 6 (Isipingo) | 369 Sykes Road, Isipingo | 031 902 6253 |
| South 2 (Amanzimtoti) | 1 Ross Street, Amanzimtoti | 031 322 6194 |
| South 7 (Shallcross) | 265 Shallcross Road, Shallcross | 031 311 2591 |
| South 8 (Chatsworth) | Main Street, Chatsworth Circle, Arena Park | 031 322 8442 |
| North 1 (Redhill) | 162 Effingham Road, Redhill | 031 322 9847 |
| North 2 (KwaMashu) | E1139 Ntombela Road, KwaMashu | 031 311 4606 |
| North 4 (Inanda) | Portion 1 of 699 Inanda Glebe, Inanda | 031 322 0734 |
| North 5 (Phoenix) | 9 Elfgrove Way, Stanmore, Phoenix | 031 322 9873 |
| North 6 (Verulam) | 151 Wick Street, Verulam | 031 322 1801 |
| West 1 and 2 (Waterfall) | 8 Link Road, Waterfall | 031 311 6956 |
| West 3 (Pinetown) | 18 Chapel Street, Pinetown | 031 311 6845 |
| West 4 (Westville) | 1 William Lester Drive, Westville | 031 311 6638 |
Sub-district enquiries: South 031 311 5586, West 031 311 6614, North 031 322 1778. Environmental health hotline 031 311 3555.
Official pages and forms
How to apply
- Complete the R638 application form: applicant, person in charge, premises, food categories and volumes, handling activities and staff numbers.
- Hand it in at the nearest environmental health office; an environmental health practitioner evaluates the premises on site.
- Apply separately for the business licence (7th Floor, Embassy Building, 199 Anton Lembede Street, 031 311 4535, or e-Services), which needs landlord and town planning consent.
- Display the certificate; a delivery vehicle certificate must name the premises where the food is prepared.
Documents to prepare
- RSA ID or valid passport of the person in charge, with residence documentation for a foreign national
- Company or close corporation registration certificate showing directors or members
- A layout plan of the premises at 1:50 showing the equipment
Fee and turnaround
No fee stated on the form or the community health page. Not published.
What the inspector checks
Structure, water and waste, temperature control, pest control, personal hygiene and training records; the 2022 Food, Milk and Milk Products By-law carries fines of up to R200 000 for non-compliance.
Environmental Health has 73 designated municipal inspectors (eThekwini State of Environmental Compliance report 2023/24).
Courses Durban businesses buy most
Six courses cover almost every food premises in Durban.
- 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 Durban
Written for the food businesses that operate in Durban.
Importers, cold stores, clearing agents and packers around the harbour, Clairwood and Prospecton need HACCP and GMP training for the technical team and R638 training for every handler.
The Golden Mile, uShaka, Umhlanga, Ballito and Florida Road run large seasonal kitchens. Managers take Persons in Charge, seasonal staff take Food Handlers online before their first shift.
Sugar, confectionery, beverage, spice and seafood processors train to GMP, HACCP, FSSC 22000 and BRCGS for retail and export audits.
Umlazi, KwaMashu, Phoenix, Chatsworth and Inanda traders and Clairwood market agents need the Certificate of Acceptability for their premises. The Informal Traders and Spaza Shops course fits that application.
On-site and in-house training
Train a Durban kitchen, plant or franchise group on one dashboard.
KwaZulu-Natal learners train online, and on-site sessions in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and the North Coast are arranged through the Johannesburg branch.
- 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 Johannesburg 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 Durban
What Durban 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 Durban?
eThekwini Municipality. 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 Durban 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 Durban and across South Africa check.
Which course do I need for a Certificate of Acceptability in Durban?
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 Durban?
Through eThekwini Municipality Health Unit. Offices: Health head office (walk-in) at 9 Archie Gumede Place, Durban 4001 (031 311 3508 and 031 311 3690); South 4 (central Durban) at Old Fort Place, City Health, 1st Floor (031 311 3587); South 3 (Clairwood) at 81 Flower Road, Clairwood (031 311 5153); South 5 and 6 (Isipingo) at 369 Sykes Road, Isipingo (031 902 6253). Sub-district enquiries: South 031 311 5586, West 031 311 6614, North 031 322 1778. Environmental health hotline 031 311 3555. The full office list, documents and fees are in the ‘Where to apply’ section of this page.
How quickly can my Durban 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 Durban?
Yes. KwaZulu-Natal learners train online, and on-site sessions in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and the North Coast are arranged through the Johannesburg branch. 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 KwaZulu-Natal, not only Durban?
Yes. This page covers Durban and Umhlanga, Pinetown, Amanzimtoti, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Umlazi, Westville, Hillcrest, Isipingo, Verulam, Tongaat and KwaMashu. 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 Durban.
This page covers Durban and Umhlanga, Pinetown, Amanzimtoti, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Umlazi, Westville, Hillcrest, Isipingo, Verulam, Tongaat and KwaMashu; searches for food safety training in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban North, Durban South, Umhlanga and the North Coast land here for a reason. Other areas: