Accredited food safety training in George, Western Cape.
Food safety training in George: accredited R638 and HACCP courses, online, with a certificate the Garden Route District inspector can verify.
For restaurants, manufacturers, caterers, spaza shops and franchise groups in George and Knysna, Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp, Blanco and Hartenbos. 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 George?
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 GeorgeBulk enrolment, one invoice, manager dashboardCertificate of Acceptability in George
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 George the Certificate of Acceptability is issued through the district: municipal health services for Knysna and the surrounding towns sit with the Garden Route District Municipality (Municipal Health, George office (a district function)). Environmental health practitioners from the district inspect the premises and recommend the certificate, and some day-to-day functions are delegated to the local municipality. Official page: Garden Route District Municipality: food control.
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.
George is the Garden Route’s commercial centre and a dairy-processing hub, and the district’s tourism economy fills restaurant, hotel and guest house kitchens from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay every season. Industrial and food-manufacturing areas we train in include Tamsui Industria, Pacaltsdorp Industrial, George Industria and the N2 corridor to Mossel Bay.
- 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 George
Where and how to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability in George.
Garden Route District Municipality, Municipal Health Services, George offices (Outeniqua and Wilderness areas). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal Health, George (Outeniqua) | Mission Street, Industrial Area, George 6530 | 044 803 1537 |
| Municipal Health, George (Wilderness) | Mission Street, Industrial Area, George 6530 | 044 803 1522 |
Municipal Health Services 044 803 1501. Open Monday to Thursday 07:30 to 16:30 and Friday 07:30 to 13:30.
Official pages and forms
How to apply
- Collect and complete the written application form at the George Municipal Health office.
- An environmental health practitioner inspects the premises against regulations 5 and 6 of R638.
- The certificate is issued in the name of the person in charge for selling, preparation or processing; it is not transferable and must be displayed.
- Give the district written notice before altering the premises.
Documents to prepare
- Fully completed written application form from the George office
- Identity document of the person in charge and company registration where applicable
- Proof of the premises address and a layout plan
- For a spaza shop, the George Municipality licence (82 Meade Street) needs a certified copy of the Certificate of Acceptability
Fee and turnaround
An administration fee applies (R190 when the district published it in 2018/19); confirm the current tariff with the office. Not published; George Municipality allows 30 working days for the spaza licence that follows.
What the inspector checks
Structure, temperature control, cross-contamination, personal hygiene, pest control, labelling and date marking, expired or damaged stock, sanitation and chemical safety (district food control page).
In the December 2025 to January 2026 holiday blitz the district inspected 193 premises in George Outeniqua and 69 in George Wilderness.
Courses George businesses buy most
Six courses cover almost every food premises in George.
- 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 George
Written for the food businesses that operate in George.
Dairy and general food processors in Tamsui Industria, Pacaltsdorp and Mossel Bay train to GMP, HACCP and FSSC 22000 for their retail customers, with R638 training for every handler.
Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Wilderness, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn kitchens take on seasonal staff who complete Food Handlers online before their first shift.
Farm stalls, padstals, wine and cheese producers and guest house kitchens along the N2 and Route 62 are food premises under R638.
Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp and Blanco traders 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 George kitchen, plant or franchise group on one dashboard.
The ASC Cape Town branch schedules on-site sessions along the Garden Route from George to Plettenberg Bay.
- 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 George
What George 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 George?
Garden Route District 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 George 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 George and across South Africa check.
Which course do I need for a Certificate of Acceptability in George?
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 George?
Through Garden Route District Municipality. Offices: Municipal Health, George (Outeniqua) at Mission Street, Industrial Area, George 6530 (044 803 1537); Municipal Health, George (Wilderness) at Mission Street, Industrial Area, George 6530 (044 803 1522). Municipal Health Services 044 803 1501. Open Monday to Thursday 07:30 to 16:30 and Friday 07:30 to 13:30. The full office list, documents and fees are in the ‘Where to apply’ section of this page.
How quickly can my George 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 George?
Yes. The ASC Cape Town branch schedules on-site sessions along the Garden Route from George to Plettenberg Bay. 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 George?
Yes. This page covers George and Knysna, Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp, Blanco and Hartenbos. 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 George.
This page covers George and Knysna, Mossel Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Thembalethu, Pacaltsdorp, Blanco and Hartenbos; searches for food safety training in Garden Route, Southern Cape, Knysna, Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay land here for a reason. Other areas: