Sekunjalo Culinary Programme 2026 Opens for Grade 12 Applicants

Who can apply

• Applicants must meet the main eligibility requirements.
• Be a South African citizen or permanent resident
• Have a valid South African identity document
• Have completed Grade 12
• Live within Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
• Be unemployed, self-employed or an entrepreneur
• Be available full-time for the full 12-month programme
• Have an interest in hospitality, catering or food production
• The programme is specifically intended for people living within Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
• Applicants from outside the municipal area should therefore not treat this as a nationwide opportunity.
• Applicants need Grade 12.
• You should prepare your Grade 12 certificate or other accepted educational documentation before completing the application.
• Having Grade 12 does not automatically guarantee selection.
• You must also meet the residency, availability and programme-interest requirements.

Documents you will need

• Applicants should prepare the required supporting documents early.
• Latest school report, educational certificate or Grade 12 certificate
• Certified copy of your identity document
• Proof of residence from your local Councillor
• Updated curriculum vitae
• Your curriculum vitae should clearly show your education, contact details and any relevant experience.
• If you have genuine experience in cooking, catering, hospitality, farming or running a food-related business, include it.
• Even informal experience can be relevant when described accurately.
• Itumeleng’s Insider Tip: Arrange your proof of residence early. The programme requires proof from your Councillor, which may take longer to obtain than updating your curriculum vitae or making certified copies of your documents.

How to apply

Applications are submitted directly to Sekunjalo Culinary - we do not collect applications. Read the eligibility criteria, prepare your supporting documents, then complete your application on the official page.

Full details

A Grade 12 certificate could open the door to 12 months of practical culinary, hospitality and entrepreneurship development through the Sekunjalo Culinary Programme 2026. Unemployed youth, aspiring chefs, local farmers, food entrepreneurs and small businesses in Buffalo City can participate, with applications closing on 21 September 2026.

The programme is being implemented through Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in partnership with the Wakanda Food Accelerator.

Unlike a traditional cooking course, the programme looks at the wider food value chain, giving participants an opportunity to develop practical skills while also learning how food-related careers and businesses can become sustainable.

What does the Sekunjalo Culinary Programme offer?

The programme runs for 12 months and combines practical skills development with entrepreneurship.

Participants can gain exposure to areas such as:

• Culinary techniques
• Food preparation
• Hospitality
• Catering
• Food production
• Food safety
• Entrepreneurship
• Small business development
• Food value-chain opportunities

This wider approach makes the programme useful for more than aspiring professional chefs.

Participants interested in catering, farming, food production or starting a small food business can also benefit.

Who can apply for the programme?

Applicants must meet the main eligibility requirements.

You need to:

The programme is specifically intended for people living within Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.

Applicants from outside the municipal area should therefore not treat this as a nationwide opportunity.

Who is the programme designed for?

The Sekunjalo Culinary Programme brings together people with different interests across the food sector.

Aspiring chefs

If you want to develop professional cooking skills, the programme can provide practical exposure to food preparation and culinary environments.

Professional cooking requires much more than simply enjoying food.

Participants need to develop discipline, organisation, consistency, hygiene awareness and the ability to work under pressure.

Hospitality and catering applicants

The programme can also benefit people interested in catering, hospitality and food service.

These environments require strong teamwork, customer service and planning skills alongside food preparation.

Local farmers

Farmers are also included in the target group.

For someone already involved in agriculture, learning more about food production and value addition could create opportunities beyond selling raw produce.

Food entrepreneurs and small businesses

Existing or aspiring food entrepreneurs can use the programme to strengthen both practical and business skills.

Making good food and running a profitable food business are two different skills.

Entrepreneurs also need to understand areas such as costing, stock control, customer service, food safety and basic business management.

Why could entrepreneurship training matter?

Many food businesses begin with someone who is good at cooking.

That alone does not guarantee that the business will survive.

Participants interested in self-employment may need to develop skills around:

• Product pricing
• Ingredient costing
• Stock management
• Customer service
• Marketing
• Food safety
• Cash flow
• Waste reduction
• Basic administration

Understanding these areas can help someone move from simply selling food to building a more structured business.

How could farmers benefit from culinary training?

Agriculture and food production are closely connected.

A farmer who produces vegetables, fruit, herbs or other agricultural products may be able to explore ways of adding value before selling them.

Depending on the product, this could involve processing, packaging or developing food products that have greater commercial value.

That makes the programme particularly interesting for applicants who want to understand both production and the business opportunities that can exist further along the food value chain.

What qualification do you need?

Applicants need Grade 12.

You should prepare your Grade 12 certificate or other accepted educational documentation before completing the application.

Having Grade 12 does not automatically guarantee selection.

You must also meet the residency, availability and programme-interest requirements.

Which documents should you prepare?

Applicants should prepare the required supporting documents early.

You will need:

Your curriculum vitae should clearly show your education, contact details and any relevant experience.

If you have genuine experience in cooking, catering, hospitality, farming or running a food-related business, include it.

Even informal experience can be relevant when described accurately.

Itumeleng’s Insider Tip: Arrange your proof of residence early. The programme requires proof from your Councillor, which may take longer to obtain than updating your curriculum vitae or making certified copies of your documents.

Why is proof of residence important?

Only residents of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality qualify.

Your proof of residence therefore forms an important part of the application.

Make sure your current residential information is accurate and consistent across your supporting documents.

Do not submit an address that does not reflect where you actually live simply to meet the programme requirements.

Is the programme full-time?

Yes.

Participants must be available full-time for the entire 12-month programme.

This is an important commitment.

Applicants should think carefully about existing work, studies or other responsibilities that could prevent regular participation before submitting.

Does the Sekunjalo Culinary Programme include a stipend?

No stipend amount has been confirmed.

Applicants should therefore not assume that a stipend or monthly allowance will be paid.

There is also no confirmed amount for transport, meals or other participant support.

If financial assistance forms part of the programme, successful participants should rely on the information communicated directly during the selection or enrolment process.

Why could this programme help after Grade 12?

Many young people are interested in food and hospitality but are unsure how to turn that interest into a career.

A structured 12-month programme can provide practical exposure while helping participants understand different parts of the industry.

Someone may begin the programme wanting to become a chef and later discover an interest in catering.

Another participant may decide that food production or entrepreneurship is a better fit.

The programme can help participants explore where their skills and interests fit within the wider food industry.

What should you check before submitting?

Before completing your application, make sure:

• You have Grade 12
• You live within Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
• Your identity document copy is certified
• You have proof of residence from your Councillor
• Your curriculum vitae is updated
• Your telephone number is correct
• Your email address is active
• You can participate full-time for 12 months
• Your information is accurate

If you have relevant culinary, farming or business experience, make sure it appears clearly on your curriculum vitae.

Do not invent experience simply to strengthen your application.

How do you submit your application?

Applications are completed using the Sekunjalo Culinary Programme application form.

Prepare your supporting documents before starting so that all required information is available.

Applications must be submitted through the Sekunjalo Culinary Programme online application form.

The Sekunjalo Skills Development Training Centre in Tyip Tyip is also listed as the programme’s training and application location.

Review your information carefully before submitting.

Never pay anyone who promises to secure your place in the programme.

When do applications close?

Applications close on 21 September 2026.

Eligible applicants should prepare their documents early, particularly the certified identity document and Councillor-issued proof of residence.

Waiting until the final day could make it difficult to correct missing documents or application errors.

What could happen after the programme?

The Sekunjalo Culinary Programme should be viewed as part of a longer development pathway.

An aspiring chef could move from practical culinary training into further occupational or hospitality studies.

Someone interested in business could use the skills gained to develop a catering, food-production or other food-related enterprise.

Farmers may also discover opportunities to add value to agricultural products before they reach customers.

The most useful approach is to enter the programme with an idea of where you want your skills to take you next.

Final Thoughts

The Sekunjalo Culinary Programme 2026 offers Buffalo City residents an opportunity to spend 12 months developing culinary, hospitality, food-production and entrepreneurship skills.

Applicants need Grade 12, must live within Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and need to be available for the programme on a full-time basis.

The opportunity is broader than chef training alone, making it relevant to aspiring chefs, local farmers, food entrepreneurs and small businesses.

No stipend amount has been confirmed, so applicants should avoid relying on unofficial payment claims.

With applications closing on 21 September 2026, qualifying candidates should prepare their Grade 12 documentation, certified identity document, Councillor-issued proof of residence and updated curriculum vitae before completing the application.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

This page summarises information published by: