The South African Motor Body Repairers' Association (SAMBRA), in partnership with the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), is intensifying its efforts to address the critical shortage of training opportunities in the motor body repair sector.
Following the official shift to occupational qualifications on 1 July 2024, the sector continues to face serious constraints in accessing accredited training providers -particularly for specialist trades like spray painting and panel beating.
"Where there were once 30 providers, only 12 merSETA-approved centres remaintoday," says SAMBRA National Director, Juan Hanekom. "Whilst the newoccupational qualifications bring value, they require apprentices to spend up to one-third of their training at a provider over three years. The current infrastructure simply can't support the demand, especially in rural areas."
A bold step forward was taken in June 2024 when the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) introduced a progressive new model that enables employers to deliver all three components of the occupational certificate - Knowledge, Practical, and Workplace - entirely on-site.
"This model has game-changing potential," says Louis van Huyssteen, RMI NationalTraining Director. "It gives employers, particularly those already well equipped forworkplace training, a direct role in developing the next generation of artisans.Importantly, it opens doors for smaller or rural employers who would otherwise beexcluded due to limited provider access."
Van Huyssteen, Hanekom, and private training expert Dr Frik Botha agree that,whilst the model is revolutionary, its successful implementation hinges oncoordinated alignment across the system. This includes synchronisation betweenmerSETA's head office, regional CLOs, administrators, quality assurers, and theQCTO's quality assurance framework.
"Educating employers on the QCTO's workplace-based model will take time,"explains Dr Botha. "Many still don't fully understand that grant funding is now onlyavailable for occupational certificates - or what it means to consolidate learningacross knowledge modules, practical training, and workplace exposure. Everythingfrom apprentice registration and tracking to site visits, gathering of evidence, logbook completion, and final verification needs to be clearly communicated and simplified."
Consistent communication between employers, workplace mentors, SkillsDevelopment Facilitators (SDFs), and quality assurance partners will be critical tothe model's success.
To support the transition, SAMBRA and the RMI are closely tracking a hybrid pilotproject led by Dr Botha at IT-C, an accredited Private Skills Development Provider.The project offers theoretical training via online distance learning, with employersproviding practical and workplace training on-site.
To date, 13 apprentices, six spray painters and seven panel beaters, have beenplaced with five RMI/SAMBRA employer members as part of the pilot. All areregistered on merSETA's National Skills Development Management System(NSDMS) and with the QCTO, with wages covered by their employers. Dr Bothanotes that whilst the model draws on principles from the former Competency-Based Modular Training (CBMT) system, it places even greater responsibility on workplace mentors to guide and assess progress.
Public TVET colleges are also beginning to respond. In 2025, both False BayCollege and Northlink College in Cape Town enrolled apprentices for the first time in occupational qualifications in motor body repair. In the Eastern Cape, national private provider UXI has committed to working with SAMBRA to implement a hybrid training model.
Despite these promising developments, systemic challenges persist. Manyemployers, particularly those in rural areas, remain unsure about the newoccupational qualification system and the administrative responsibilities that comewith grant funding.
"In a struggling skills system, something simple like getting a Workplace Skills Planapproved, often becomes an exhausting administrative battle," says Van Huyssteen.
"The red tape is discouraging. Some employers with a long track record ofsuccessfully training apprentices are now questioning whether it's worth continuing."
SAMBRA and the RMI are calling on policymakers and implementation agencies toact swiftly to simplify processes and remove systemic barriers. A more employer-friendly, responsive skills ecosystem is urgently needed - one that supports, values,and empowers employers as key enablers of youth employment and artisandevelopment.
With over 23,000 employers and 300,000 employees, and contributing approximately 2% to South Africa's GDP, the automotive retail aftermarket sector is ideally placed to support national goals. "If just one in five employers adopted the QCTO's workplace-based model, we could register 4,500 apprentices annually delivering 15% of the government's 2030 target of 30,000 qualified artisans per year," say Van Huyssteen.
The collaboration between SAMBRA, the RMI and committed training providersreflects the sector's unwavering commitment to developing skilled artisans. "With the right support, coordination and innovation, the motor body repair industry can help unlock the full potential of South Africa's youth and play a vital role in rebuilding the nation's skills pipeline," concludes Hanekom.
