Step 1: Register with your SETA

OK, let’s get started.

The first thing you have to do is register with the sector education and training authority (SETA) that is responsible for your economic sector. We’ve provided a list of SETAs below.

The SETAs are statutory bodies that oversee education and training in the various sectors that the government has split the South African economy into. Their job is to help implement the National Skills Development Strategy and to increase the skills of people in their sector.

What happens after I register with a seta?

Through the mandatory grants system, your seta will pay you back part of the money you spend on skills training. This grant can be up to 20% of the total amount you have paid into the skills development levy, depending on how much your company spent on training staff.

In addition to these mandatory grants, setas can pay employers discretionary grants for taking part in skills development programmes. You can apply for a discretionary grant if the skills development projects you are involved in are linked to the government’s list of scarce and critical skills (your seta will have a list of these). The decision on these discretionary grants is up to the board of the particular seta you apply to.

Find your seta