PSiRA training establishment accreditation

Running a security training academy is not the same as holding an instructor certificate, and it is not the same as running a guarding company. It is a third application, on form PSiRA 47A, where the Authority accredits the establishment itself. Every owner must already be registered, the premises are inspected against a fixed checklist, and an incomplete file is returned with the fee forfeited. We assemble it so that does not happen.

R3 990our fee · PSiRA fees paid at cost · the accreditation fee is not refundable, so the file goes in complete

Independent paperwork service. ProperSA is an independent private company, not PSiRA. You can apply for accreditation yourself, directly with the Authority. Our fee pays for the file to be prepared, checked against PSiRA’s own requirements and lodged.

Three different applications, in this order

Most people who want to open an academy have done one of these and assume it carries them to the next. It does not. PSiRA stands for the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority.

Layer	What it is	What it needs first
1. You, registered	Your own registration as a security service provider.	Nothing can happen before this.
2. You, accredited as an instructor	Form PSiRA 46A. A person, not a business.	Your registration certificate, a signed letter from a security service provider giving your exact practical dates, and a testimonial from an already accredited instructor. Your instructor certificate is one of eight items.
3. The academy, accredited	Form PSiRA 47A. The establishment itself. This page.	The business registered, every owner registered, premises, policies and at least one confirmed instructor.

So an instructor certificate on its own does not open an academy, and a guarding company registration does not either. If you are still on layer one or two, say so and we will price the right thing instead of this.

Every owner, not just one

This is the requirement that ends applications, and it is the same trap as a guarding business. The Training of Security Officers Regulations say an applicant must furnish full particulars of every director, member, partner or other owner of the proposed establishment, including information and proof of every such person’s registration as a security officer under the Act.

The 47A form repeats it in plainer words: your business and every director, member, partner, owner or trustee must be registered as a security service provider.

We check every name on your CIPC record against PSiRA before anything is lodged and before you pay the Authority anything. If one of your co-owners cannot be registered, you want to know that now, not after the fee is gone.

The inspection checklist, in full

These are the minimum compliance requirements printed on the 47A form for the accreditation inspection and evaluation. You self check them, then PSiRA verifies them.

The accreditation application formPSiRA 47, completed with your management team, instructors, classrooms and scope.
Proof of registration with PSiRAA copy of the registration certificate.
Proof the accreditation fee is paidThe receipt. The fee is payable in advance and is not refundable.
Receipt of settlement for annual feesArrears on your annual fees will stop the accreditation.
A lease agreement or proof of the approved infrastructureFor the premises being used for training.
A fire department letter or an affidavitFor the training premises.
A signed confirmation letter for your instructorsOn an official letterhead, for each instructor or trainee instructor employed, with the employment contract or service level agreement.
Policies and procedures for managing trainingThe written rules for how training is administered and recorded. This is the item most applicants do not have and cannot produce quickly.
Proof of a telephone lineA landline, not a cell number.
Proof of a fax lineYes, still. The form asks for it, so the file carries it.

If you relocate, a signed confirmation letter on your letterhead relating to the initial address is also required.

Classrooms, capacity and the grades you may teach

The form fixes the shape of the academy before you build it, so it is worth knowing the limits before you sign a lease.

Item	The rule on the form
Classrooms	A maximum of ten.
Learner ratio	One to thirty, so up to thirty learners in a classroom.
Category 1 scope	Grades E, D and C. Compulsory.
Category 2 scope	Grades B and A, as a combined programme.
Training resources listed	Locked cabinet, telephone, facsimile, office furniture, communication equipment, record keeping, filing cabinet, archive, computers, learning aids, practical simulation area, practical area, student manuals and a student record management system.

Adding grades later, or increasing your classroom capacity, is an upgrade application rather than a fresh accreditation. Satellite branches are their own application again, and the form says the initial registration and accreditation must be in good standing first.

What you get for R3 990

Your route confirmed before you pay PSiRA anythingThe form has five categories, from an emerging provider to a lapsed accreditation to a capacity increase. Picking the wrong one is a returned file.
Every owner checked against PSiRAEach director, member, partner or trustee on your CIPC record, confirmed registered, in writing, before lodging.
Form PSiRA 47A completed in fullManagement team, instructor and facilitator table with grades and qualifications, classroom capacity, scope of courses and the declarations.
Your training management policies and procedures draftedWritten around how your academy will actually run, because the checklist asks for them and a generic download is what gets picked apart at inspection.
The evidence pack assembled and self checkedLease, fire letter, instructor confirmation letters, fee receipts, phone and fax proof, all matched to the checklist before submission.
The inspection preparedA written walk through of what the inspector will look for on the day, room by room, against the resource list on the form.
Lodged and followed upSubmitted to the Authority and chased to an outcome, with the accreditation number recorded when it issues.

Accredit my training academy

Not sure which of the three layers you are on? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day.

What this does not cover

PSiRA’s own feesThe accreditation fee is payable to the Authority in advance and is not refundable. The form says the amount depends on your registration status, so we confirm the exact figure with PSiRA in writing and send it to you before anything is paid.
Your PSiRA business registrationIf the company is not registered as a security service provider yet, that is the business registration first, and this sits on top of it.
Registering your directorsEach owner has to be registered in their own name. That is officer registration, priced per person.
Instructor accreditationForm PSiRA 46A is about a person and needs documented practical experience signed off by a security service provider and an accredited instructor. Tell us if you need it and we will quote it separately.
The premises, the equipment and the training materialThe lease, the classrooms, the computers and the course material are yours to provide. We tell you what the checklist expects before you spend on any of it.
A guarantee of accreditationThe decision and the inspection are PSiRA’s. We make the file complete and correct, which is what it turns on, but nobody can promise an outcome.

What we will need from you

Your CIPC registration documents, so we can see every director, member or trustee on the record.
Your PSiRA number or T number if the business is already registered or accredited.
The PSiRA number of every owner, or their full names and identity numbers if they are not registered yet.
The training premises, the lease or proof of ownership, and how many classrooms you intend to run.
Your instructors, their names, PSiRA numbers, highest PSiRA grade and highest qualification, and whether they are employed or on a service level agreement.
Which grades you want to be accredited for, Category 1 or both categories.
A landline and a fax number for the premises, with proof of each.

We never ask anyone for a password and you should never send one. Where an online account is needed we walk you through it from your side.

Frequently asked questions

Is an instructor certificate enough to open a security training academy?

No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding. An instructor certificate is one of eight items on the instructor accreditation form, and that form is about a person, not a business. A training academy is a separate accreditation of the establishment itself on form PSiRA 47A, and it requires the business and every owner to be registered as security service providers first.

Do all the owners have to be registered, or just one?

All of them. The Training of Security Officers Regulations require full particulars of every director, member, partner or other owner of the proposed establishment, including proof of each one's registration as a security officer under the Act. The 47A form repeats it: your business and every director, member, partner, owner or trustee must be registered as a security service provider.

What does PSiRA inspect before it accredits a training centre?

The minimum compliance list on the 47A form covers the application form, your registration certificate, proof the accreditation fee is paid, proof annual fees are settled, a lease or proof of the approved infrastructure, a fire department letter or affidavit, a signed confirmation letter for your instructors, your training management policies and procedures, proof of a telephone line and proof of a fax line. The form still asks for a fax line.

How many classrooms and learners am I allowed?

The 47A form caps a training centre at ten classrooms with a learner ratio of one to thirty, so a maximum of thirty learners per classroom. You state your proposed number of classrooms and the capacity of each, and the accredited capacity is what PSiRA approves at inspection, not what you write on the form.

Which grades can I be accredited to train?

The form splits the scope into two categories. Category 1 covers Grades E, D and C and is compulsory. Category 2 covers Grades B and A as a combined programme. You pick the scope you are applying for, and adding grades later is an upgrade application rather than a fresh accreditation.

What does PSiRA charge for accreditation?

A non-refundable accreditation fee is payable to PSiRA in advance, and the form says the amount depends on your security service provider registration status. We confirm the exact figure with the Authority in writing and send it to you before a cent is paid, rather than publishing a number that may have moved.

What happens if the application is incomplete?

The form is blunt about it. Incomplete hand delivered applications with insufficient evidence will not be accepted, and posted applications will be returned, which results in the applicant forfeiting the application fee. That is the whole reason this service exists: the checklist is met before anything is lodged.

I already run a registered security business. Is this cheaper?

The service fee is the same, but the job is shorter because the registration layer already exists. The 47A form has a category for an existing security service provider, and one for a registered provider whose accreditation has lapsed or was never approved. Tell us which you are and we will confirm the route before you pay.

General information about South African law, not legal advice. The application categories, the minimum compliance checklist, the classroom and learner limits, the grade categories and the wording about incomplete applications above are taken from PSiRA’s own form PSiRA 47A, and the instructor requirements from form PSiRA 46A. The accreditation of training establishments is governed by the Training of Security Officers Regulations, 1992 made under the Security Officers’ Act 92 of 1987, read with section 44(2) of the Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001. Forms, fees and requirements change and PSiRA may revise them without notice. Accreditation decisions, inspection outcomes and processing times are the Authority’s and are outside our control. Confirm anything that matters to a decision with PSiRA on the day.