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To claim SETA funding for staff training, register your business with the correct SETA, appoint a Skills Development Facilitator (SDF), submit a compliant Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) by 30 April each year[1], and apply for discretionary grants when your SETA opens a funding window. Do this, and keep your levy payments up to date, and you recover a mandatory grant of 20% of the Skills Development Levy you have already paid[1]. You can also apply for discretionary grants and learnership funding. This guide takes South African employers through the full process step by step. It also shows where BOTI’s skills development and SDF training courses fit.
Building your career?
Add a certificate to your CV with BOTI e-learning: 142 self-paced online courses – Excel, Word, project management, customer service and more – from R595 (excl. VAT) with 6 months’ access.
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Rather have your employer pay? Here’s how to ask
Add a certificate to your CV with BOTI e-learning: 142 self-paced online courses – Excel, Word, project management, customer service and more – from R595 (excl. VAT) with 6 months’ access.
See the e-learning courses
Rather have your employer pay? Here’s how to ask
Training your staff?
BOTI is accredited by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations) as a skills development provider, and is a Level 1 B-BBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) contributor. Plan the training in your Workplace Skills Plan and count it towards your B-BBEE skills development score.
Get a quote for your team
BOTI is accredited by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations) as a skills development provider, and is a Level 1 B-BBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) contributor. Plan the training in your Workplace Skills Plan and count it towards your B-BBEE skills development score.
Get a quote for your team
The business problem: paying the levy but never claiming it back
Every employer above the SDL threshold pays the Skills Development Levy (SDL) at 1% of payroll[2] to SARS each month. You get something back for it. Of every levy rand, 80% goes to your Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA)[1]:
- 49.5% for discretionary grants
- 20% for mandatory grants
- 10% for SETA administration
- 0.5% for the QCTO
The other 20% goes to the National Skills Fund[1].
The money does not return automatically. You have to claim it through a defined process with strict deadlines and documents. If you do not claim it, your unclaimed mandatory grant money moves into the SETA’s discretionary funding by 15 August[1]. Many South African businesses pay the levy every month, never claim, and so never see that 20% again.
This guide is for South African organisations developing their own staff, not individual learners or job-seekers. It is written for the people who own the budget and the reporting.
Who this is for
Claiming SETA funding matters most to the people who hold the training budget and the compliance responsibility:
- HR and L&D managers who plan team training and own the WSP and ATR.
- Skills Development Facilitators (SDFs) responsible for registering, submitting and claiming.
- Finance leads reconciling the SDL paid against the grant recovered.
- Business owners and MDs of small and medium businesses who pay the levy but have never claimed it back.
- Operations and department managers whose team training needs to be captured and funded.
If you sign off training spend or carry the compliance, the steps below are written for you.
How to claim SETA funding: the step-by-step process
Claiming SETA funding follows a clear annual cycle, and each step builds on the last. Start by confirming your SETA. It is the one that matches your business sector, determined by your SIC code, and the one your levy is allocated to. Your SARS levy classification and SDL number point to it. For example, many service businesses fall under the Services SETA. If you are unsure, read which SETA your company falls under.
| Step | What you do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Confirm your SETA and levy status | Check you are paying SDL via SARS and identify the correct SETA for your sector (by SIC code) | You can only claim from the SETA you are levied to, and arrears stall any claim |
| 2. Register on your SETA’s system | Create an employer profile on your SETA’s online grant system | No registration means no submission and no grant |
| 3. Appoint and register an SDF | Appoint a Skills Development Facilitator (internal or outsourced) and register them with the SETA | The SDF prepares and submits the WSP and ATR on your behalf |
| 4. Submit your WSP and ATR by 30 April | File the Workplace Skills Plan (planned training) and Annual Training Report (training done) | This qualifies you for the mandatory grant of 20% of the levies you paid |
| 5. Apply for discretionary grants | Respond to your SETA’s discretionary grant windows for learnerships, bursaries, internships, in-service training and skills programmes | Discretionary grants fund larger programmes, but they are competitive and window-based |
| 6. Deliver the training and keep evidence | Run the planned training and keep attendance registers and certificates | Verifiable training is what the SETA pays and audits against |
| 7. Report and reconcile | Record actual training in next year’s ATR and reconcile the grant received against the levy paid | Keeps the cycle compliant and your claim defensible year after year |
The pattern is simple: register, plan, submit on time, deliver the training and report. The grant is usually lost through the process, not through a lack of training. Get the process right and part of the levy you already pay comes back. For dates and common mistakes, see our guide to the WSP submission deadline.
Mandatory grant vs discretionary grant: what you can claim
SETA funding comes in two main forms, and most levy-paying employers can target both.
- Mandatory grant. This pays back 20% of the levies you paid[1]. It is paid when you submit a compliant WSP and ATR by 30 April and your levy payments are up to date. In effect, it is part of your own levy coming back for planned staff training.
- Discretionary grant. This is awarded against applications for learnerships, bursaries, internships, in-service training and skills programmes, usually aligned to the skills your sector needs most.
- Most discretionary funding targets PIVOTAL programmes: professional, vocational, technical and academic learning that leads to qualifications or part-qualifications on the NQF[3].
- These grants are competitive, and each SETA sets its own windows and criteria.
A clean mandatory-grant track record also strengthens your position when you apply for discretionary funding: a registered SDF, an on-time WSP/ATR and verifiable training. For how the current funding windows work, read our guide to discretionary grants.
Not sure which SETA you fall under, or how to start your first claim? Phone 011 882 8853 or use the BOTI booking page. Ask BOTI to help you check your claim steps so you do not miss one before the 30 April deadline.
SETA funding for small businesses
Small businesses follow the same rules as large employers.
- If you pay the levy: register with your SETA, appoint an SDF and submit your WSP and ATR by 30 April. You can then claim the mandatory grant. Many small firms use an outsourced SDF rather than training someone internally.
- If you are below the levy threshold: you do not pay the levy, so there is no mandatory grant to recover. Some SETAs still open discretionary windows that small or non-levy-paying businesses can apply to. Check your SETA’s current funding windows and their criteria before you plan training around a grant.
What you need before you claim: a readiness checklist
Get these in place early and you avoid weeks of last-minute scrambling:
- Current SDL payments to SARS, with no arrears, under the correct SETA classification.
- A registered employer profile on your SETA’s online grant system.
- An appointed, registered SDF, internal or outsourced.
- A clean employment profile: headcount by occupational level, race, gender and disability.
- A training needs analysis linking skills gaps to the skills your sector needs most.
- A WSP listing planned training (ideally accredited where you want discretionary funding), and a matching ATR with evidence.
- Records: attendance registers, certificates and an audit trail for every intervention.
BOTI can help you put this structure in place by pairing the training you plan with clear records. The Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) Training Course prepares the person who runs the cycle. It helps them plan training you can report and fund.
How BOTI training fits your SETA claim
A SETA claim is only as strong as the training behind it. BOTI (Business Optimization Training Institute) is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor. We help in three ways.
1. QCTO occupational certificates and QCTO skills programmes.
- Occupational certificates end in an External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA).
- Skills programmes end in a Final Integrated Supervised Assessment (FISA), which BOTI runs.
- In both cases the QCTO issues the certificate.
- These programmes produce the formal, verifiable evidence that discretionary-grant applications often ask for.
2. Legacy Services SETA qualifications (BOTI’s Services SETA accreditation 12582).
- Several Services SETA qualifications were extended for new enrolments until 30 June 2028, with completion by 30 June 2031[4].
- Dates differ per qualification, so check the qualification’s SAQA record when you plan.
3. Non-accredited short courses. These are facilitator-led courses that build specific skills quickly. Delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance, and you report the courses in your ATR as completed staff development.
BOTI trains whole teams and keeps clear records, so your SDF can report the courses in your WSP and ATR. Tell us your funding objective and we will recommend the right structure.
Delivery formats
How you deliver training affects both convenience and how cleanly it is captured in your claim:
- In-house at your premises. Practical for groups, with attendance records built around your own team.
- At BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg. For teams that prefer to train away from daily interruptions.
- Live online, instructor-led. Efficient for teams spread across several sites, with no travel.
Whichever format you choose, keep the attendance registers and certificates. The SETA can ask for them when it verifies your ATR.
The levy, the grant and your B-BBEE scorecard
Claiming SETA funding means part of the levy you must pay comes back to your business. As general guidance only:
- The SDL is 1% of payroll[2] for employers above the threshold. Submit a compliant WSP and ATR by 30 April, keep your levy payments up to date, and you can claim a mandatory grant of 20% of your levies[1]. You can also apply for discretionary grants for learnerships and skills programmes.
- Skills development spend also counts on the B-BBEE scorecard, where the skills development target is measured against 6% of the leviable amount[5], not 6% of payroll. How your training spend is recognised depends on your verification.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Confirm the specifics with your SETA, your SDF or your B-BBEE verification professional.
Why BOTI
BOTI is a South African corporate training company and QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider. It offers 450 courses and is rated 4.8 on Google from more than 770 reviews. Clients include Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg. We deliver practical training for whole teams, in-house, at our venue or online. We keep the records your claim depends on.
Claiming SETA funding rarely sits alone. Many clients pair it with related programmes:
- Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) training: for the person who registers, submits and claims on your behalf.
- Accredited course catalogue: QCTO and SETA options for your plan.
- Corporate training programmes and short courses: group delivery with clean attendance records.
- The full BOTI course range: sales, management, finance, HR and technical training for teams.
If you are not sure where to start, our team can help map the right training path for your SDF, HR team and annual claim.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for SETA funding?
Register as an employer on your SETA’s online grant system, appoint and register a Skills Development Facilitator (SDF), and submit your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) by 30 April each year. That submission is your application for the mandatory grant. For discretionary grants, such as learnerships, bursaries, internships, in-service training and skills programmes, you apply separately when your SETA opens a funding window, using the forms and evidence that window asks for.
What are the SETA funding requirements?
You must be registered for the Skills Development Levy and up to date with your payments to SARS, be registered with the correct SETA, have a registered SDF, and submit your WSP and ATR on time. Discretionary windows add their own criteria, which your SETA publishes with each window. Keep attendance registers, certificates and other evidence for every training intervention you report.
Can small businesses get SETA funding?
Yes, if they meet the requirements. A small business that pays the Skills Development Levy can claim the mandatory grant in the same way as a large employer, by submitting its WSP and ATR by 30 April. Businesses below the levy threshold do not pay the levy, so they have no mandatory grant to recover. They should ask their SETA whether its discretionary windows accept applications from them.
How much SETA funding can we claim back?
The Skills Development Levy is 1% of payroll. The mandatory grant pays back 20% of the levies you paid, on condition that your WSP and ATR are submitted by 30 April and your levy payments are up to date. Mandatory grant money that is not claimed moves to discretionary funding by 15 August. Discretionary grants are competitive, and the amount depends on the window and the programme. This is general information, not financial advice.
Do we need a registered SDF to claim?
Yes. The SDF is the person who prepares and submits the WSP and ATR for your organisation. The SDF can be an employee or an outsourced specialist, but must be registered with your SETA before you submit. BOTI’s Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) Training Course prepares the person who owns your claim to do it properly each year.
Request a quote
Stop paying the levy without claiming it back. The person who owns your claim needs to know the cycle well. The Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) Training Course covers registering with your SETA, building the WSP and ATR, and keeping the evidence a claim depends on. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote. A BOTI consultant will scope training for your team and help you plan a WSP and ATR that support your SETA claim.
Sources
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Grants Policy 2025/26 – merSETA, 2024.
- Pre-2009 Extended Qualifications – South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), June 2026.
- Codes of Good Practice on B-BBEE: Code Series 300, Statement 300 – Skills Development (Government Gazette 42496) – Department of Trade and Industry, 31 May 2019.
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