Courses Offered at Capsicum Culinary Studio (Capsicum) for 2027

Capsicum Culinary Studio is one of the biggest chef schools in South Africa. It opened in 2003 and today belongs to ADvTECH, the listed private education group that also runs higher education brands such as Emeris. The school focuses on hands-on training in working kitchens, backed by theory classes and structured time in real restaurants, hotels and bakeries.

What you can study

Capsicum's programmes fall into two broad groups:

- Culinary qualifications registered with the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations), such as the Occupational Certificate: Cook (Professional Chef, NQF 4), the Occupational Certificate: Chef (Advanced Professional Chef, NQF 5) and the Occupational Certificate: Kitchen Hand (Foundational Cookery, NQF 3). Many of these also carry a City & Guilds endorsement, which is recognised by employers overseas.
- Patisserie and baking training, including the Professional Patisserie programme (NQF 5, with a City & Guilds Level 3 diploma) and the Assistant Baker occupational skills programme (NQF 2).
- City & Guilds learning programmes for front-of-house careers: Food and Beverage Service, Reception Services and Introduction to the Hospitality Industry. These are international awards and are not registered on the South African NQF.

There are also combined programmes that pair two qualifications, a short part-time Rookie Chef course for beginners, and masterclasses for home cooks.

Campuses

Capsicum teaches at seven campuses: Rosebank, Boksburg, Ruimsig and Pretoria in Gauteng, Cape Town (Salt River) in the Western Cape, Umhlanga in KwaZulu-Natal and Greenacres in Nelson Mandela Bay. Each campus has teaching kitchens and lecture rooms, and some, such as Cape Town and Ruimsig, have student accommodation on site or nearby.

Study modes

Most programmes run full-time, with intakes in February and July (some start in September). Professional Chef, Professional Patisserie, Foundational Cookery, Assistant Baker and the Food and Beverage Service programme are also available part-time for people who work during the day. All study is contact-based, because cooking skills are learnt in the kitchen.

Work-integrated learning and support

Every accredited programme includes work-integrated learning (WIL), where students spend blocks of time in industry kitchens or hospitality venues. Capsicum runs an employment programme called Talent Exchange to link graduates with employers, and the fees for most programmes include uniforms, safety boots, a knife or barware set and digital study material. Students also get extra workshops, for example on social media, wine appreciation and food photography.

Fees and funding

Fees depend on the programme and the campus. For 2026, a year of Professional Chef at the Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town campuses costs R110 000 if paid upfront, while the six-month Foundational Cookery programme costs R33 500. Students can pay in full or pay a deposit followed by monthly instalments, and Capsicum works with Student Hero, a service that helps learners find study finance. Campus-specific fee schedules are published on the website.

How to apply

Choose a programme and campus, then apply online through the student portal and pay the R1 000 application fee. Most culinary programmes need you to be at least 18, and entry levels range from Grade 9 for the foundation programmes to Grade 12 for Professional Patisserie. You can also send an enquiry or chat to a campus student advisor on WhatsApp before you apply.

Useful documents (official PDFs):
- Fee Schedule 2026 JHB RMG PTA CPT.: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Fee+Schedule-2026-JHB-RMG-PTA-CPT..pdf
- Fee Schedule 2026 BKS DBN 5ee333e4: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Fee+Schedule_2026_BKS-DBN-5ee333e4.pdf
- Fee Schedule 2026 NMB 4320b96e: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Fee+Schedule_2026_NMB-4320b96e.pdf
- Professional Chef 2025 cf68ecbf: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Professional_Chef-2025-cf68ecbf.pdf
- Advanced Professional Chef 2025 ab62ccdf: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Advanced_Professional_Chef-2025-ab62ccdf.pdf
- CCS Fact sheet Professional Patisserie 2026: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/CCS-Fact+sheet_Professional+Patisserie-2026.pdf
- Professional Patisserie 2025 3c8e62d6: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Professional_Patisserie-2025-3c8e62d6.pdf
- CCS Fact sheet Foundational Cookery 2026: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/CCS-Fact+sheet_Foundational+Cookery-2026.pdf
- Foundational Cookery Programme 2025 669f50fe: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Foundational_Cookery_Programme-2025-669f50fe.pdf
- CCS Fact sheet Assistant Baker 2026 428d9bb2: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/CCS-Fact+sheet_Assistant+Baker-2026-428d9bb2.pdf
- Assistant Baker 2025 779ad8f6: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/Assistant_Baker-2025-779ad8f6.pdf
- CCS Fact sheet Food Beverage Service Feb 2026: https://irp.cdn-website.com/db6c93a5/files/uploaded/CCS-Fact+sheet_Food-Beverage+Service-Feb+2026.pdf