Accredited food safety training in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
Food safety training in Gqeberha: accredited R638 and HACCP courses, online, with a certificate the Nelson Mandela Bay inspector can verify.
For restaurants, manufacturers, caterers, spaza shops and franchise groups in Gqeberha and Port Elizabeth, Kariega (Uitenhage), Despatch, Motherwell, Summerstrand, Walmer, Newton Park, Korsten, Zwide, KwaNobuhle and Bluewater Bay. 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 Gqeberha 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 Gqeberha?
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 GqeberhaBulk enrolment, one invoice, manager dashboardCertificate of Acceptability in Gqeberha
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 Gqeberha the Certificate of Acceptability is issued by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. 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: Nelson Mandela Bay: R638 conditions for a Certificate of Acceptability (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.
Gqeberha is ASC’s home city. The head office is in South End, ten minutes from the harbour. Nelson Mandela Bay has a municipal fresh produce market at Markman, the Coega Special Economic Zone with an agro-processing cluster, and a coastline of fisheries, restaurants and hotels from Summerstrand to Blue Horizon Bay. Industrial and food-manufacturing areas we train in include Deal Party, Struandale, Markman, Korsten, Neave, Perseverance, Sidwell, Fairview and the Coega Special Economic Zone.
- 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 Gqeberha
Where and how to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability in Gqeberha.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Public Health, Environmental Health Services. 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 | Phone |
|---|---|
| Environmental Health, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) | 041 506 5412 and 041 506 5413 |
| Environmental Health, Uitenhage (Kariega) | 041 994 1296 |
| Environmental Health, Despatch | 041 994 1631 |
Email publichealth@mandelametro.gov.za, or customer care 0800 20 50 50.
Official pages and forms
How to apply
- Complete sections A to G of the application form and attach the documents.
- Pay the fee by EFT and submit to the environmental health office for Gqeberha, Kariega or Despatch.
- An environmental health practitioner inspects the premises against the R638 conditions.
- Display the certificate; notify the municipality within 30 days when the person in charge changes, and note that a prohibition of six months or more lapses the certificate.
Documents to prepare
- Formal premises: zoning certificate or special consent from Town Planning, proof of waste removal, a pest control contract, a certificate of food safety training, and a fire safety certificate where gas is used
- Informal traders and hawkers: the trading permit, two ID photos, a food safety training certificate and a gas installation certificate where applicable
- A valid permit for a non-South African applicant
Fee and turnaround
R704 for a formal premises, R225 for an informal premises and R211 for a re-issue, paid by EFT and non-refundable (Environmental Health Services price list). Not published.
What the inspector checks
The municipality’s published R638 conditions: structure and finishes, hand-wash and toilet facilities, temperature control, waste, pest control, personal hygiene and the training certificate the applicant must attach.
Nelson Mandela Bay is one of the few metros that asks for proof of food safety training with the application itself, which is why ASC’s Persons in Charge course is the usual first step here.
Courses Gqeberha businesses buy most
Six courses cover almost every food premises in Gqeberha.
- 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 Gqeberha
Written for the food businesses that operate in Gqeberha.
Summerstrand, Humewood, Walmer, Newton Park and the Boardwalk run busy kitchens through the summer and the sports events calendar. Persons in Charge for managers, Food Handlers for staff, certificates the same day.
Processors in Deal Party, Struandale and Markman and tenants in the Coega SEZ train to GMP, HACCP and FSSC 22000 for retail and export audits. ASC consultants can add an on-site gap assessment because we are local.
Motherwell, Zwide, KwaZakhele, New Brighton and KwaNobuhle traders need the Certificate of Acceptability for their premises. The Informal Traders and Spaza Shops course fits that application.
School nutrition kitchens, hospital and care home kitchens and events caterers across the Bay are inspected as food premises under R638.
On-site and in-house training
Train a Gqeberha kitchen, plant or franchise group on one dashboard.
ASC’s head office is at 14 Brickmakers Kloof Road, South End, so on-site training, gap assessments and mock inspections in Nelson Mandela Bay are usually available within days.
- 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 Gqeberha 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 Gqeberha
What Gqeberha 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 Gqeberha?
Nelson Mandela Bay 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 Gqeberha 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 Gqeberha and across South Africa check.
Which course do I need for a Certificate of Acceptability in Gqeberha?
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 Gqeberha?
Through Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Offices: Environmental Health, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) (041 506 5412 and 041 506 5413); Environmental Health, Uitenhage (Kariega) (041 994 1296); Environmental Health, Despatch (041 994 1631). Email publichealth@mandelametro.gov.za, or customer care 0800 20 50 50. The full office list, documents and fees are in the ‘Where to apply’ section of this page.
How quickly can my Gqeberha 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 Gqeberha?
Yes. ASC’s head office is at 14 Brickmakers Kloof Road, South End, so on-site training, gap assessments and mock inspections in Nelson Mandela Bay are usually available within days. 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 Eastern Cape, not only Gqeberha?
Yes. This page covers Gqeberha and Port Elizabeth, Kariega (Uitenhage), Despatch, Motherwell, Summerstrand, Walmer, Newton Park, Korsten, Zwide, KwaNobuhle and Bluewater Bay. 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 Gqeberha.
This page covers Gqeberha and Port Elizabeth, Kariega (Uitenhage), Despatch, Motherwell, Summerstrand, Walmer, Newton Park, Korsten, Zwide, KwaNobuhle and Bluewater Bay; searches for food safety training in Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay, Kariega, Uitenhage and the Eastern Cape land here for a reason. Other areas: