6 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I March 2026
HVAC & R TRADE TEST business
The volunteers participating in the pilot do not receive credits or certificates because the site is not yet accredited for the new qualification. However, Van Staden notes that they benefit from rare exposure to the pressures and structure of a real trade test – an advantage when they eventually complete their training cycle.
The refrigeration curriculum is reviewed every five years, ensuring continuous adaptation to technological advances. The new trade test already reflects several industry shifts, including:
• The phasing out of outdated components such as purely mechanical metering devices
• Integration of new refrigerants, including hydrocarbons, CO₂, ammonia and low-GWP alternatives
• Greater digitalisation in diagnostics and control systems
While qualified artisans never retake a trade test, they remain responsible for updating their skills through industry training as new technologies emerge.
ACCREDITATION AND NATIONAL ROLLOUT For the new refrigeration trade test to go live, three formal steps must be completed:
• Validation by the QCTO of all assessment instruments against the Qualification Assessment Specification( QAS) Addendum
• Accreditation of trade test centres against the new SAQA ID and updated equipment and tooling checklists
• Approval of the assessment cost structure modernise artisan qualifications. The rigorous pilot process at ACRA has strengthened the new assessment instruments, ensuring that when the updated qualification launches, it will reflect both the realities of modern refrigeration technology and the quality standards expected of the country’ s trades.“ The pilot helps us deliver a quality instrument – and ultimately a quality artisan into industry,” he concludes.
With the pilot framework established, ACRA has now completed the first full validation of the new QCTO-aligned refrigeration trade test instruments. Grant Laidlaw, owner of ACRA and a member of the technical committee, describes the pilot as“ the first real shift in how refrigeration mechanics are assessed since the 1960s”. For Laidlaw, the significance is clear:“ This is the first time in my 40 years in the trade that we’ ve rewritten the test from the ground up. It finally reflects the equipment, refrigerants and safety practices technicians use today – not the archaic systems from decades ago.”
The pilot at ACRA represents the practical translation of the curriculum and assessment instruments developed by NAMB, testing both their technical accuracy and fairness under realworld conditions. Over a week-long programme, apprentices with three to five years’ experience undertook every task repeatedly, while the technical committee observed, recorded and refined instructions, timings and procedures hour by hour.
Van Staden stresses that accreditation centres must be equipped to replicate the tasks exactly – not necessarily with identical rigs, but with equipment capable of performing the same functions.“ If the checklist is wrong, centres might be declared compliant but unable to execute the task. We’ ve seen that happen, so accuracy is critical.”
NAMB aimed to complete the validation and rollout by February 2026, enabling the first cohorts of apprentices – already at the end of their three-year training cycles – to undergo the new trade test without further delay.
Van Staden’ s overarching goal is clear: a high-quality national assessment that produces artisans capable of safely and competently working on modern refrigeration systems.
“ The Red Seal must carry the same or even higher level of quality assurance as a matric exam. These are the people who’ ll one day work on the equipment that keeps food cold in our stores and processes running in our industries. The assessment instruments must guarantee they can do the job,” he says.
The refrigeration trade – covering both commercial and domestic systems – will soon branch into three specialised occupational streams as the industry diversifies. The pilot ensures that, regardless of pathway chosen, South Africa’ s artisans meet the evolving technical demands of a fastchanging sector.
With 125 listed trades under his personal oversight, Van Staden views the refrigeration pilot as an example of how industry, training providers and regulators can collaborate to
FOUR PILOTS, ONE MODERN QUALIFICATION The refrigeration mechanic trade test completed at ACRA is the first of four national pilots that will validate the new occupational qualifications:
• Refrigeration mechanic – Hydrocarbons, HFCs, HFOs and traditional refrigerants( excluding CO₂ and ammonia)( Context 1)
• Air conditioning mechanic – A standalone‘ aircon’ qualification( Context 2)
• Refrigeration mechanic – CO₂( Context 3)
• Refrigeration mechanic – Ammonia( Context 4)
The second pilot, air conditioning, is already scheduled for early 2026, with CO₂ to follow shortly thereafter. The ammonia pilot, however, requires a fully functional ammonia plant. The specifications for the ammonia practical assessment equipment has been developed with industry and in particular with Hannes Steyn – GEA senior director and Johan Muller( a member of the TWG).
“ There’ s no South African funding for these pilots,” Laidlaw explains.“ We get technical assistance from industry, and we hope the ammonia plant will be supported through AUDA- NEPAD( African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’ s Development). Without that, it becomes an expensive undertaking.”
The current legacy trade test dates back to the 1960s. While highly regarded, it no longer aligns with:
6 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I March 2026