Accredited food safety training in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
Food safety training in Pietermaritzburg: accredited R638 and HACCP courses, online, with a certificate the uMgungundlovu District inspector can verify.
For restaurants, manufacturers, caterers, spaza shops and franchise groups in Pietermaritzburg and Howick, Hilton, Edendale, Northdale, Scottsville, Hayfields, Sobantu, Imbali, Ashburton, Camperdown and Richmond. 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 Pietermaritzburg?
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 PietermaritzburgBulk enrolment, one invoice, manager dashboardCertificate of Acceptability in Pietermaritzburg
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 Pietermaritzburg the Certificate of Acceptability is issued through the district: municipal health services for Howick and the surrounding towns sit with the uMgungundlovu District Municipality (Municipal Health Services (a district function; Msunduzi is the local municipality)). 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.
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.
Pietermaritzburg is KwaZulu-Natal’s capital and the midlands’ processing centre: the Msunduzi-owned fresh produce market at Mkondeni, edible oil, poultry, dairy and grain processing in Willowton and Mkondeni, and the Cato Ridge logistics corridor between the city and Durban. Industrial and food-manufacturing areas we train in include Mkondeni, Willowton, Camps Drift, Pentrich, Prestbury Industrial and the Cato Ridge corridor.
- 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 Pietermaritzburg
Where and how to apply for a Certificate of Acceptability in Pietermaritzburg.
uMgungundlovu District Municipality, Community Services (Municipal 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 | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| uMgungundlovu District Municipality head office | 242 Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 | 033 897 6700 |
| Howick satellite office | 033 502 0412 | |
| Hilton satellite office | 033 330 5433 | |
| Mpofana (Mooi River) satellite office | 033 263 1718 |
Email info@umdm.gov.za; Community Services office 033 897 6861. Offices are open Monday to Friday 07:45 to 16:00.
Official pages and forms
How to apply
- Contact Community Services at the district head office or a satellite office and request the application form.
- Submit it with the documents and the processing fee; an environmental health practitioner inspects the premises.
- The certificate is issued in the name of the person in charge and must be displayed.
- Keep records current: the district budget for 2025/26 commits to regular inspection of all food establishments and to registering spaza shops with local economic development units.
Documents to prepare
- Identity document of the person in charge and company registration where applicable
- Proof of the premises address and owner or landlord consent
- A layout plan of the premises
- Business licence documents from Msunduzi Municipality where meals are prepared
Fee and turnaround
R478 for processing a Certificate of Acceptability for food premises (district tariff structure 2024/25); confirm the current year’s amount. Not published.
What the inspector checks
Structure, hand-wash facilities, water and waste, temperature control, pest control, personal hygiene and training records, with expired food confiscated and shops closed in the November 2024 Richmond operation.
The district tariff for the certificate rose from R427 in 2023/24 to R478 in 2024/25.
Courses Pietermaritzburg businesses buy most
Six courses cover almost every food premises in Pietermaritzburg.
- 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 Pietermaritzburg
Written for the food businesses that operate in Pietermaritzburg.
Processors in Willowton, Mkondeni and Camps Drift train to GMP, HACCP and FSSC 22000 for their retail customers, with R638 training for every handler.
Hilton, Howick, Nottingham Road and the Midlands Meander run restaurant, hotel and farm stall kitchens that the district environmental health practitioners inspect.
Provincial government canteens, UKZN Pietermaritzburg residences, Grey’s and Edendale hospital catering are food premises under R638.
Edendale, Imbali, Sobantu and Northdale traders and Mkondeni 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 Pietermaritzburg kitchen, plant or franchise group on one dashboard.
KwaZulu-Natal learners train online, and on-site sessions in Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands 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 Pietermaritzburg
What Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg?
uMgungundlovu 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 Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg and across South Africa check.
Which course do I need for a Certificate of Acceptability in Pietermaritzburg?
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 Pietermaritzburg?
Through uMgungundlovu District Municipality. Offices: uMgungundlovu District Municipality head office at 242 Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 (033 897 6700); Howick satellite office (033 502 0412); Hilton satellite office (033 330 5433); Mpofana (Mooi River) satellite office (033 263 1718). Email info@umdm.gov.za; Community Services office 033 897 6861. Offices are open Monday to Friday 07:45 to 16:00. The full office list, documents and fees are in the ‘Where to apply’ section of this page.
How quickly can my Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg?
Yes. KwaZulu-Natal learners train online, and on-site sessions in Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands 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 Pietermaritzburg?
Yes. This page covers Pietermaritzburg and Howick, Hilton, Edendale, Northdale, Scottsville, Hayfields, Sobantu, Imbali, Ashburton, Camperdown and Richmond. 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 Pietermaritzburg.
This page covers Pietermaritzburg and Howick, Hilton, Edendale, Northdale, Scottsville, Hayfields, Sobantu, Imbali, Ashburton, Camperdown and Richmond; searches for food safety training in Msunduzi, KZN Midlands, Howick and Hilton land here for a reason. Other areas: