Chefs celebrating their accreditation.
The Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) has officially graduated 164 learners from its Occupational Chef Qualification Programme (NQF Level 5). This marks a major milestone in skills development. The graduation ceremonies took place in Durban on 16 May and in Sandton on 28 May 2025, celebrating young chefs from across South Africa. The programme was introduced to tackle youth unemployment and meet national artisan training targets by providing practical and theoretical culinary education through partnerships with accredited culinary academies.
This was the inaugural group to complete the Chef Artisan Programme, launched in response to the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Decade of the Artisan campaign. The initiative is part of CATHSSETA’s broader strategy to develop qualified artisans in high-demand occupations and contribute to the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 and the National Skills Development Plan (NSDP) 2030.
Speaking at the Sandton graduation event held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, CATHSSETA CEO Marks Thibela emphasised the programme’s broader socio-economic role. “CATHSSETA is committed to addressing unemployment through skills training. Everyone must leave the programme with something – a qualification, a job, or a pathway to career advancement,” he said.
The Chef Artisan Programme is structured as a rigorous three-year course blending theory with hands-on culinary training and a formal trade test. It aims to ensure graduates are equipped not just with kitchen experience but with the credentials and knowledge to build lasting careers in the hospitality sector.
The learners represented five provinces – KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo and North West – and trained at five culinary academies funded by CATHSSETA. These include institutions like Guvon Academy, which reported that 19 out of its 20 learners have already secured employment. Overall, only three out of the 164 graduates have not yet found permanent positions. Some have found work abroad such as Mr Rowaldo Lottering, who will be relocating to Miami and Florida later this year. “It will be my first time on a plane and my first time leaving South Africa,” he said.
One of the guest speakers Simone, reminded attendees of the national goal to produce 30,000 artisans annually. She stressed the importance of building a skilled workforce and empowering young South Africans to take on meaningful roles in industries facing talent shortages.
Executive Manager for Learning Programmes, Ms Lebogang Mpye, described the programme as a turning point in artisan development. “This is not ordinary chef training. It meets the highest standards and positions our graduates as competitive professionals on the global stage,” she said. “The success of this group is a powerful example of what targeted investment and collaboration can achieve.”
CATHSSETA’s artisan training initiative has not only equipped learners with professional qualifications but has also contributed to local employment and global mobility. Some learners were even involved in international events such as the World Cup, further illustrating the programme’s real-world relevance.
CATHSSETA has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding artisan development in the hospitality sector and beyond. With a growing network of training institutions the Chef Artisan Programme stands as a model for effective, transformative skills development in South Africa.
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