South Africa completes major new automotive machinist qualification

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Developed through collaboration between the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) Training department and the Automotive Remanufacturers’ Association (Ara), the qualification aims to establish a formal pathway for training and recognising artisans in automotive machining, a specialised trade supporting the remanufacturing of vehicle components.

“The Automotive Machinist trade is a specialised and essential part of the remanufacturing industry, but it is also a scarce skill that we need to protect and develop for the future,” says Attie Serfontein, national director of ARA.

The development process involved RMI Training, Ara, the National Artisan Moderation Body (Namb), the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), merSETA, industry assessors and technical specialists.

Work accelerated in November 2025, when industry representatives and assessors met at Namb’s offices in Olifantsfontein to align trade-test standards and assessment criteria. Further technical engagements refined the assessment instruments and competency standards to reflect current workplace requirements.

Qualification targets specialist skills

Automotive machinists require precision in machining operations, measurement and surface finishing. Engineering specifications, machining tolerances, calibrated equipment and quality control are critical to ensuring that remanufactured components meet the required standards.

The new occupational qualification replaces the legacy qualification framework with a greater emphasis on workplace competence.

Teshney Samuel, RMI training adviser, participated in the Department of Higher Education and Training’s technical working group responsible for developing and implementing the qualification. She says the process brought together technical expertise and curriculum design to create a structured occupational programme.

Serfontein says the qualification is intended to help ensure that artisan training reflects the practical competencies needed by the industry.

The project has moved into practical application, with a pilot rollout at Golden Arrow’s facilities in the Western Cape providing an opportunity to test the curriculum and assessment approach in an engineering workplace.

Trade-test capacity remains a challenge

Expanding access to formal trade testing is another priority for the sector.

Louis van Huyssteen, RMI national training director, says the limited availability of accredited trade-test centres makes it difficult to develop new artisans and provide experienced candidates with formal recognition of their skills.

During the qualification-development process, RMI Training, Ara and Indlela/Nad, under the Department of Higher Education and Training, also worked towards re-establishing Automotive Machinist trade-test capacity.

“A single facility will not be sufficient to meet national needs. We must explore additional capacity and ensure that candidates have accessible routes from training and workplace experience through to trade testing and formal recognition,” says van Huyssteen.

Expanding the national network of testing facilities would help create clearer pathways from workplace training to formal qualification, while supporting the development of specialist skills required by the remanufacturing sector.

Supporting sustainable remanufacturing

Automotive remanufacturing restores suitable components to required engineering standards, extending their useful life and reducing the need for replacement parts and associated waste.

The qualification is intended to support this work by strengthening the supply of skilled artisans and establishing more consistent standards for technical competence.

The next steps for RMI Training and Ara include supporting implementation, expanding trade-test capacity and developing the pipeline of qualified Automotive Machinists needed by South Africa’s automotive aftermarket.