Last updated 8 October 2026
To train a restaurant group or any multi-site food business for Regulation R638, put at least one person in charge per branch per shift through an accredited, assessed persons in charge course, put every food handler through a food handler course, and keep the records per branch where an inspector can see them. ASC Food Safety Training does this for groups of any size: bulk enrolment by branch, per-learner pricing with no VAT charged, proctored assessments, QR-verified certificates and a manager dashboard that exports completion reports. A quote and an invoice follow within one working day. ASC already trains franchise teams for KFC, Jack’s Bagels and the Spur Corporation group.
Training one person is easy. Training sixty people across eight branches, three shifts and two provinces, then proving it to an inspector at any one of them on any given morning, is a management problem. This guide is for the owner, operations manager, QA or HR lead who has to solve it.
What does Regulation R638 require for staff training?
The R638 regulations put the duty on the person in charge of each food premises. In plain terms, an inspector will ask four questions at every branch:
| The inspector asks | Regulation | What you hand over |
|---|---|---|
| Is the person in charge trained? | 10(1)(a) | A Persons in Charge certificate, QR-verified |
| Are the food handlers trained? | 10(1)(b) | A food handler certificate for each person |
| Is the training assessed? | 10(1)(c) | Assessment records and your on-site checks |
| Are the records kept and up to date? | 10(1)(d) | A completion report from the manager dashboard |
The weak point in most groups is not the training itself. It is the branch that opened last month, the night-shift supervisor who was never enrolled, and the certificate that left with the employee who resigned.
Who in each branch needs which course?
- Owners, managers, supervisors and shift leaders who are in charge when the inspector arrives: Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises, R1 699, about 8 hours, video-proctored final. Train enough people to cover every shift, not just the branch manager.
- Cooks, servers, packers and anyone who touches food: Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers, R899, about 6 hours.
- New starters in their first week, casual staff and spaza or kiosk teams: Basic Food Hygiene Awareness, R420, about 4 hours, with an upgrade to the full food handler course later.
- Central kitchens and production sites that need HACCP: the HACCP courses, three levels from R1 195.
What does it cost to train a branch?
A worked example at list price for a typical restaurant branch with two persons in charge and twelve food handlers:
| Role | Course | Learners | List price each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons in charge | Persons in Charge | 2 | R1 699 | R3 398 |
| Food handlers | Food Handlers | 12 | R899 | R10 788 |
| Branch total | 14 | R14 186 |
That is the list price for individuals. Five or more learners get a team rate, quoted on the size of your team, and no VAT is charged on ASC courses, so the quote is the amount you pay. Add the Basic Food Safety Document Templates Toolkit (R699, more than 40 editable policies, procedures, forms and checklists aligned to R638) at 15 percent off when you buy it with an R638 course.
Compare that with the cost of one branch closed for a day while you fix a training finding, or a brand audit failed on records. Training is the cheapest line in your compliance budget.
How group training works with ASC
- Tell us the numbers. How many branches, how many people in each role, and which towns. Use the contact form or WhatsApp +27 61 483 0381.
- Get a quote and an invoice within one working day. One company invoice, per-learner pricing, no VAT.
- We enrol your people in bulk, grouped by branch, department or region. Learners get one set of instructions; managers get one login.
- Learners train self-paced or in live virtual sessions. Self-paced lessons work on any phone. Live sessions suit store teams who learn better with a facilitator, the model ASC runs for KFC persons in charge.
- Track and prove it. The manager dashboard shows who has started, who has passed and whose completion date is coming up on your renewal schedule. Export the completion report for your audit file in one click.
- Keep it current. New starters are added as they join, and reassessments are arranged for anyone who needs them.
What should you check before you choose a provider for a group?
- Accreditation you can verify: ASC is SAATCA registered (TC 065) and FoodBev SETA accredited (587/00337/1900).
- Assessment that shows who was tested: video-proctored for persons in charge.
- Certificates an inspector can check: QR-verified, issued the day the learner passes.
- Reporting by branch: the manager dashboard.
- References from businesses like yours: KFC, Jack’s Bagels and Spur Corporation franchise teams train with ASC, and so do the Environmental Health Practitioners who inspect food premises. See how the franchise programmes work.
- Reviews you can read in full: 4.9 out of 5 from 2 306 delegates on the delegate reviews page.
For the full checklist, read ten checks before you pay any food safety training provider.
Do you train outside the big cities?
Yes. Training runs online everywhere in South Africa and across Southern Africa, and learners in Durban, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, East London, Polokwane, Mbombela, Kimberley, Pietermaritzburg, Rustenburg, George and Stellenbosch already train with ASC. On-site delivery is arranged through the branches in Gqeberha, Randburg and Cape Town. See training by city and province.
Frequently asked questions
How many people in a restaurant need persons in charge training?
Enough to have a trained person in charge on every shift at every branch. In most restaurants that means the manager plus the supervisors or shift leaders who run the floor when the manager is off.
How much does food safety training for a team cost?
At list price, Persons in Charge is R1 699, Food Handlers is R899 and Basic Food Hygiene Awareness is R420 per learner. Five or more learners get a team rate on one invoice, and no VAT is charged.
How quickly can ASC train a new branch?
ASC sends a quote and an invoice within one working day of receiving your numbers. Self-paced learners can start the same day they are enrolled and receive their certificate the day they pass.
Can managers see training progress for each branch?
Yes. The ASC manager dashboard groups learners by branch, department or region and shows who has started, passed or is due, with a completion report that exports in one click.
Does ASC train franchise groups?
Yes. ASC trains franchise teams for KFC, Jack’s Bagels and the Spur Corporation family of restaurants across Southern Africa.
What records does an inspector expect under R638?
Proof that the person in charge and the food handlers were trained, that the training was assessed, and records that are kept up to date and produced on request.
Get a team quote today
Tell us how many branches and how many people in each role. We reply with a per-learner price, a programme and an invoice within one working day.
- Persons in Charge, Food Handlers and Hygiene Awareness courses built on Regulation R638
- Bulk enrolment by branch, department or region
- Video-proctored assessments and QR-verified certificates
- Manager dashboard and one-click completion reports for your audit file
- No VAT charged: the quote is what you pay