A Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) is the person responsible for planning, coordinating and reporting on an organisation’s training so it can submit a compliant Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) to its SETA. BOTI’s 5-day SDF programme — a practical, facilitator-led skills programme delivered by an accredited provider (BOTI is a QCTO Quality Partner) — equips your staff to take on this role with confidence.

This page is for HR and L&D leads, business owners and operations managers who need an in-house SDF, or who want to upskill an existing team member to manage SETA submissions, unlock Mandatory Grants and strengthen your B-BBEE skills-development scorecard. Below you will find the full course outline, accreditation detail, the SDF role explained, and answers to the questions buyers ask us most.

What Is a Skills Development Facilitator (SDF)?

A Skills Development Facilitator is the formally appointed link between your organisation and its Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA). The Skills Development Act requires employers (typically those with a payroll above the SDL threshold) to appoint an SDF if they want to claim grants and participate in the levy-grant system.

In practice, the SDF:

• Conducts a training needs analysis (TNA) across the business to identify real skills gaps.
• Compiles and submits the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP), the forward-looking plan of training for the coming year.
• Compiles and submits the Annual Training Report (ATR), the record of training actually delivered in the past year.
• Advises management on the implications of the National Skills Development Strategy, learnerships and relevant qualifications.
• Serves as the contact point between the employer and the SETA, and helps the business access Mandatory and Discretionary Grants.

An SDF can be an internal employee (the most cost-effective long-term option) or an external consultant. Having a trained in-house SDF means your WSP/ATR submission is owned, accurate and on time every year, rather than scrambled together by an outsider who does not know your teams.

Why an SDF Matters for Grants and B-BBEE

A competent SDF directly affects two things buyers care about:

1. Levy recovery. Employers pay the Skills Development Levy (SDL) at 1% of payroll. A timely, compliant WSP/ATR submission lets you claim back the Mandatory Grant and positions you for Discretionary Grants, money that is otherwise forfeited.
2. B-BBEE points. The skills-development element of the B-BBEE scorecard rewards spend equal to 6% of the leviable amount. A good SDF ensures that training is planned, recorded and aligned so it counts toward that target. (This is general guidance, not financial or legal advice; confirm specifics with your verification agency.)

Course Overview

This course is specifically designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge and required skills to identify specific training needs, and to compile Workplace Skills Plans (WSP) and Annual Training Reports (ATR). Delegates leave able to assume the SDF role within their own organisation and to manage the full SETA submission cycle.

Who Should Attend

Individuals who are seeking to improve their knowledge and understanding of the Skills Development Facilitation (SDF) process, with a view to furthering their ambitions within the fields of Education, Training and Development and Human Resource Development.

This makes it ideal for:

• HR and L&D practitioners taking on WSP/ATR responsibility.
• Business owners and managers in SMEs who need a single competent person to own SETA compliance.
• Training coordinators and consultants who want to offer SDF services as an additional income stream.

Accreditation

This SDF course is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme; delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion (this is not an accredited qualification). BOTI is an accredited training provider (Services SETA accreditation 12582, MICT SETA ACC/2016/07/0045, and a QCTO Quality Partner), so the programme is built and delivered to a professional standard, but the SDF course itself is not a SETA- or QCTO-registered, credit-bearing qualification.

The programme builds the practical Education, Training and Development competencies an SDF needs to plan, compile and submit WSP and ATR documents. If you need a credit-bearing route, ask about our accredited qualifications such as the QCTO Office Administrator (102161) or our Generic Management qualifications.

Course Duration

5 days.

Course Outline

Module 1: Context of Skills Development in South Africa
– Outcomes-based Education and Training principles
– Legislation, learning and assessment in skills development
– Organisational alignment to best practices

Module 2: Analysis of Learning Outcomes
– Planning and organising analysis processes
– Skills gap analysis
– Establishing learning requirements and priorities

Module 3: Creating Workplace Skills Plans (WSP)
– WSP context and required elements
– WSP matrix development

Module 4: Coordinating Skills Development Initiatives
– Types of skills development initiatives
– Planning and organising learning interventions
– Reviewing and reporting on interventions

Module 5: Skills Development Administration
– Data collation and storage
– Information provision from skills development data
– Recommendations for system improvements

What You Will Be Able to Do After the Course

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Strengthen the practical competencies used in Education, Training and Development and Human Resource Development.
• Assume the SDF role within their organisation.
• Compile and submit a compliant WSP and ATR to the relevant SETA.
• Provide consultation services and workshops as an additional income stream.

Delivery Options

BOTI delivers this course on-site (in-house) at your premises or off-site, in all major South African city centres, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, as well as remotely. In-house delivery is the most efficient choice when you are training a group, and lets us tailor examples to your sector and SETA.

How SDF Training Fits the WSP/ATR Cycle

Training your SDF is step one. The role then runs an annual cycle:

1. Training Needs Analysis — identify gaps.
2. Compile the WSP — plan next year’s training.
3. Implement training — deliver the planned interventions.
4. Compile the ATR — report what was actually delivered.
5. Submit to SETA before the deadline (typically 30 April each year) — unlock grants.

If you would like help with any stage of that cycle, from the TNA through to the final submission, explore our related programmes:

• Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and ATR training and submission support — the documents your SDF will produce.
• Train the Trainer and Facilitator Training — for staff who will deliver the training your WSP plans.
• Human Resource Management and HR Skills courses — the broader L&D cluster the SDF role sits within.
• BBBEE and Skills Development courses — to connect training spend to your scorecard.

A note on tenders. An active levy-grant record and a strong skills-development scorecard also support your competitiveness on public tenders. Under the PPPFA 2022 Regulations, preference points are awarded on price plus specific goals (such as HDI ownership by race, gender or disability, and RDP-aligned goals) on an 80/20 basis for contracts of R30,000 to R50 million and 90/10 above R50 million; the Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 further provides for set-asides. Treat this as general guidance, not legal advice.

Free download: grab our WSP/ATR Submission Checklist and TNA Template to map your skills gaps before your SDF’s first submission. Request it with your quote.

Request a Quote or a 15-Minute Callback

• Phone: 011 882 8853
• Or request a quote online.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Skills Development Facilitator do?
An SDF identifies training needs, compiles and submits the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) to the organisation’s SETA, advises management on skills development, and acts as the link between the employer and the SETA so the business can claim its Mandatory and Discretionary Grants.

Does my company legally need an SDF?
If your organisation pays the Skills Development Levy (1% of payroll) and wants to claim back the Mandatory Grant and access Discretionary Grants, you need to appoint an SDF and submit a WSP/ATR. Many companies appoint an internal SDF for cost control and continuity. This is general guidance; confirm your obligations with your SETA.

Is the SDF course accredited?
No. BOTI’s SDF training is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme; delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion (this is not an accredited qualification). BOTI is an accredited training provider (Services SETA 12582, MICT SETA, QCTO Quality Partner), but the SDF course itself is not a SETA- or QCTO-registered, credit-bearing qualification. If you need a credit-bearing route, ask about our accredited qualifications such as the QCTO Office Administrator (102161) or Generic Management.

How long is BOTI’s SDF training course?
The programme runs for 5 days and is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme delivered by an accredited provider (BOTI is a QCTO Quality Partner); delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion (this is not an accredited qualification).

Can the SDF course be run in-house for our team?
Yes. BOTI offers on-site (in-house) delivery at your premises, off-site public training, and remote options across Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and nationwide. In-house is ideal for groups and lets us tailor content to your sector.

How does an SDF help with B-BBEE?
A trained SDF ensures training is planned, recorded and aligned so your spend counts toward the skills-development element of the B-BBEE scorecard, which targets spend equal to 6% of the leviable amount. Treat this as general guidance and confirm specifics with your B-BBEE verification agency.

What is the difference between a WSP and an ATR?
The WSP (Workplace Skills Plan) is forward-looking; it plans the training for the coming year. The ATR (Annual Training Report) is backward-looking; it reports the training actually delivered in the past year. The SDF produces both and submits them together to the SETA.

Book Your Seat

Equip your team to own SETA compliance, recover your levies and strengthen your B-BBEE scorecard. Request a quote or a 15-minute callback today.

• Call 011 882 8853
• Request a quote online.