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A disability learnership lets your business train a learner with a disability through a structured programme built on a registered SETA/QCTO learnership qualification — and in return the spend can count towards B-BBEE skills development, the learnership may qualify for SARS tax allowances, and you may be able to claim SETA grant funding. For SA employers carrying skills-development and employment-equity obligations, it is one of the highest-return training decisions you can make. BOTI sets up and runs these learnerships end to end, so your HR or L&D team gets the compliance and funding upside without the administrative load.
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
Below you will see how a SETA disability learnership works from both sides: what the learner studies and does in the workplace, how long it runs and whether the theory can be done online, and how the funding, B-BBEE recognition and tax allowances work for the host employer. To see which registered qualifications are available for a learner, browse the SETA qualifications at BOTI.
This is a support guide for HR, L&D, transformation and finance decision-makers who buy training for their teams and need disability learnerships to actually deliver on the business case.
The Business Problem a Disability Learnership Solves
Most SA businesses face the same three pressures at once: a B-BBEE scorecard where skills development is heavily weighted, an employment-equity target that is hard to move, and a Skills Development Levy that flows out monthly with little visible return. A disability learnership addresses all three in a single, structured intervention.
Skills-development spend on learners with disabilities is measured under its own indicator on the B-BBEE scorecard. The employer can also claim the SETA mandatory grant by submitting its WSP/ATR, apply for discretionary grants, and the learnership may qualify for SARS Section 12H learnership allowances. Together these can substantially reduce the net cost to your business compared with the scorecard and funding value generated. Done properly, a disability learnership turns a compliance cost into a measurable, reportable asset.
Who This Is For
This programme is built for SA corporate buyers training staff and teams, specifically:
- HR and L&D managers who own the workplace skills plan (WSP) and annual training report (ATR).
- Transformation and B-BBEE managers who need to lift the skills-development element of the scorecard.
- Employment-equity committees working to meet representation targets for people with disabilities.
- Finance and tax teams wanting to claim the Section 12H learnership allowance correctly.
- Business owners and ops/department managers in JSE-listed groups, mid-market firms and SMEs who want a turnkey, low-risk way to participate.
Learners with disabilities who are looking for a learnership take part through a host employer, because the learnership agreement and the workplace learning sit with the employer; BOTI partners with that business to host and support the learners.
What a Disability Learnership Covers
A learnership combines a theoretical (knowledge) component with structured workplace experience, leading to a full, registered occupational qualification on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). A typical BOTI-managed disability learnership includes:
| Component | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Knowledge modules | Classroom or virtual theory aligned to the registered qualification (e.g. Business Administration Services or New Venture Creation; BOTI confirms the current list when you book). |
| Practical workplace learning | Structured on-the-job experience hosted at your premises, logged against the qualification outcomes. |
| Reasonable accommodation | Assistive technology, accessible materials, adjusted delivery and venue/format adaptations per the Employment Equity Code on disability. |
| Mentoring and coaching | Assigned mentor support plus BOTI facilitator check-ins throughout the term. |
| Assessment and moderation | Formative and summative assessment by registered assessors; external moderation via the relevant SETA/QCTO. |
| Compliance documentation | Learner agreements, disability declarations, SETA registration, and evidence packs for your B-BBEE verification and tax claim. |
Qualifications are typically NQF Level 2 to 5 and run over roughly 12 months. BOTI matches the qualification to your sector, your scorecard needs and the learners’ aspirations.
Delivery Formats and National Reach
BOTI delivers across South Africa with formats chosen around accessibility and your operations:
- In-house / on-site at your premises (recommended, so workplace learning happens in context with reasonable accommodation built in).
- Scheduled classroom sessions at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg.
- Live virtual / online facilitation for distributed teams and remote learners.
- Blended combinations of the above.
National reach means a single learnership programme can run consistently across multiple branches and provinces.
Accreditation
BOTI is an accredited training provider — Services SETA 12582 and a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider. Disability learnerships place your learners onto registered SETA/QCTO learnership qualifications: learners are registered with the relevant SETA, assessed by registered assessors and externally moderated, and on successful completion receive a recognised occupational qualification. Registration onto the right qualification is what makes the spend count for B-BBEE skills development and what underpins your SETA grant and SARS tax claims. The qualifications available are migrating from the legacy SETA unit-standard system to the new QCTO occupational system — accredited enrolment is available now; please confirm the current registered qualification and its accreditation status when you book.
Funding: Skills Development Budget, BBBEE Points and Tax Relief
This is where the business case lands. A disability learnership can be funded and recovered through several stacked mechanisms:
B-BBEE skills development
Under the B-BBEE Codes, the skills-development target is calculated as 6% of the leviable amount[1] (not “6% of payroll”). That target is made up of 3.5% on learning programmes for black people and 2.5% on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions[1]. Spend on learning programmes for black employees with disabilities is measured as a separate indicator, with its own target of 0.3% of the leviable amount[1], so it adds to your skills-development score on top of the standard learner spend indicators. Sector codes may differ, and no points are guaranteed before verification.
SETA grants
Employers paying the Skills Development Levy (1% of payroll)[2] can recover a portion via mandatory grants by submitting a compliant WSP/ATR by 30 April, with levy payments up to date[3], and can apply for discretionary grants that often prioritise learnerships and people with disabilities.
SARS Section 12H learnership allowance
A registered learnership can qualify for the Section 12H tax allowance, with an enhanced allowance for learners with a disability — an annual allowance during the agreement plus a completion allowance, claimed against taxable income. (This is general guidance, not tax advice — confirm current amounts and eligibility with your tax adviser.)
Net effect
Skills-development spend you are largely committed to anyway becomes a learnership that can support your scorecard, your SETA grant claims and a tax allowance at the same time — a markedly better return than unstructured ad-hoc training. BOTI helps you model this before you commit.
Want to see the numbers for your business? Request a quote or a 15-minute callback, and BOTI will take you through the funding and B-BBEE numbers for your business.
Why BOTI
BOTI is an accredited South African corporate training provider running 450 courses and trusted by clients including Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg. For disability learnerships specifically, BOTI gives you:
- Turnkey administration — SETA registration, learner agreements, disability declarations and the full evidence pack for B-BBEE verification and tax claims.
- Reasonable accommodation built in — accessible materials, assistive technology and adapted delivery as standard.
- National delivery across JHB, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and remote.
- A single point of contact managing mentoring, assessment, moderation and reporting.
To scope your programme, call BOTI on 011-882-8853 or request a callback below.
Related BOTI Pages
- Learnerships for Employers (cluster overview)
- SETA-Accredited Learnerships Explained
- Skills Development & BBBEE Scorecard Training
- Business Administration Courses
- Request a Quote / Book a Callback
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a disability learnership? It is a structured programme that places a learner with a disability onto a registered SETA/QCTO learnership qualification, combining theory and workplace experience and leading to a registered NQF qualification. For employers the spend can count towards B-BBEE skills development and may support SETA grant claims and SARS tax allowances.
How does a disability learnership improve our B-BBEE scorecard? Skills-development spend is measured against a target of 6% of the leviable amount. Learning programme spend on black employees with disabilities is measured as a separate indicator with its own target of 0.3% of the leviable amount, so it adds to your skills-development element. Sector codes may differ, and no points are guaranteed before verification.
What tax benefit applies to a disability learnership? A registered learnership may qualify for the SARS Section 12H allowance, which includes an enhanced allowance for learners with a disability — an annual allowance during the agreement plus a completion allowance. This is general guidance; confirm current figures with your tax adviser.
Do we need to pay the learner, and can we recover costs? Learners are on a fixed-term learnership agreement and typically receive a stipend or allowance. Costs can be offset through SETA mandatory and discretionary grants (funded by your 1% SDL) and the Section 12H tax allowance, substantially reducing net cost.
How do we get started with a disability learnership? Request a quote or 15-minute callback via boti.co.za, or call 011-882-8853. BOTI helps you choose the right qualification, model the BBBEE and tax upside, register learners with the relevant SETA, and manage delivery, accommodation, assessment and reporting end to end.
Get Started
A disability learnership is one of the few training decisions that can support your B-BBEE scorecard, your SETA grant claims and a tax allowance at the same time. Request a quote or a 15-minute callback, and BOTI will help you model the upside before you commit.
More questions
Can I do a disability learnership online?
Partly. The knowledge modules can be delivered as live virtual sessions, and BOTI also offers in-house and classroom options. But every learnership also includes structured workplace learning, hosted by the employer and logged against the qualification outcomes, so a disability learnership cannot be completed entirely online. Reasonable accommodation, such as assistive technology and accessible materials, applies to both the online and the workplace parts.
Do disability learnerships pay a stipend?
Learners sign a fixed-term learnership agreement and typically receive a stipend or allowance for the duration of the programme, which usually runs for about 12 months. This page does not quote amounts, so check what applies with the host employer before you sign the agreement. Employers can offset part of the cost through SETA mandatory and discretionary grants and the SARS Section 12H learnership allowance.
Which SETA is involved in a disability learnership?
Learners are registered with the relevant SETA for the employer’s sector. South Africa still has 21 SETAs, which collect and pay out levy grants, fund learnerships and act as Quality Partners of the QCTO. Because qualifications are moving from the legacy SETA unit-standard system to QCTO occupational qualifications, confirm the current registered qualification and its accreditation status before learners are enrolled.
How long does a disability learnership take?
Most disability learnerships run for roughly 12 months and are typically built on a qualification at NQF Level 2 to 5. Time is split between knowledge modules, delivered in a classroom or online, and structured workplace learning at the host employer, with mentoring, assessment and moderation throughout. The exact length depends on the registered qualification chosen for the learner and the employer’s sector.
If your transformation, HR or finance team needs a working grasp of the scorecard before you plan a learnership, our one-day B-BBEE Fundamentals Training covers the scorecard and its skills development element. BOTI runs it in-house at your premises, at our venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online.
Sources
- 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.
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.
For employers: put your skills levy to work
We train your staff at your offices, online or at a BOTI venue. Training can be planned in your Workplace Skills Plan, and spend on training black employees counts towards the skills development element of your B-BBEE scorecard.
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