Can AI training count for B-BBEE?

Yes, AI training for your staff can count as skills development spend on your company's B-BBEE scorecard, as long as you keep the right records. Short, non-accredited training such as a live AI course is treated as informal training, so only part of your skills spend can come from it, and your verification agency decides what counts.

This guide is for skills development facilitators, HR and L&D teams, and finance heads who want to train people on AI and report it properly. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your own position with a SANAS-accredited verification agency or an attorney before you rely on it.

Key facts about training your team with us

Live cohorts on Zoom that start every Monday, with seats for any number of team members
Invoiced to your company
Safe use of company data (POPIA) built in
An attendance register and certificates for your skills records
No coding needed

What does skills development mean on the B-BBEE scorecard?

Skills development is one element of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment codes. It looks at how much a company spends on training black employees and, in some cases, unemployed people, measured against targets in the codes that apply to your sector and size.

The spend has to be real, on identifiable people, and backed by evidence. A training budget that sits in a spreadsheet without names, dates and proof of attendance does not help anyone at verification time.

Does short AI training count, or only accredited courses?

Both can count, but they are treated differently. Accredited learning programmes that lead to a registered qualification sit in one category. Short courses that are not accredited, such as a practical AI course, are informal training.

Informal training is recognised, but the codes limit how much of your skills spend can come from it. We do not quote a figure here, because the limit depends on which codes apply to you and how your agency reads them. Ask your verification agency before you plan the budget, not after.

In practice, most companies use a mix: accredited programmes for the bulk of the spend, and short, practical courses for skills people need now, such as using AI tools safely.

Training a team? Your team members can join our live cohorts, which start every Monday, invoiced to your company, with safe use of company data (POPIA) built in and an attendance register and certificates for your skills records. Send a team enquiry.

Will we get the money back from the SETA?

No, and it is worth being clear about this, because it is often sold the wrong way. Buying AI training does not mean the money comes back to you.

The mandatory grant is a share of the skills levy you already pay. Your SETA pays it when you submit your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) on time. You receive it whatever training you buy, so a course does not create it.
Discretionary grants are for programmes the SETA chooses to fund, usually accredited ones. A short, non-accredited AI course is not normally one of them.

So the honest picture is this: the training costs what it costs, and it can count towards your skills development spend. Anyone who tells you it is free, or that you will claim it back, is selling you something else.

What records should we keep for verification?

Verification agencies want evidence that training happened, who attended, and what it cost. For any short course, keep:

The invoice, made out to your company, with dates and the number of people.
An attendance register showing each learner's name and the sessions they attended.
A certificate or record of completion per learner.
Proof of payment.
A short description of the course content, so the agency can see what was taught.

Match each learner to your employee records, including the demographic information your agency asks for, and store it the way you store other personal information under POPIA. Our guide to POPIA and AI at work covers that side.

How do we fit AI training into the Workplace Skills Plan?

The WSP is where you say what training you plan for the year, and the ATR is where you report what happened. Workplace Skills Plans are due by 30 April each year, so plan AI training early in the cycle.

Name the skill gap plainly, for example "staff use AI tools without guidance on client data".
List the roles that need it first: often admin, finance, HR, marketing and sales.
Say how you will measure it: attendance, a short practical task, or a manager's sign-off.
Record it in the ATR with the same evidence you keep for verification.

Your skills development facilitator will know how your SETA wants each line worded. If you do not have one, your verification agency can usually point you to the right format.

What should the AI training itself cover?

Training that only shows off tools does not change how people work. For a team, look for training that covers:

Choosing the right tool for a task among ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Writing prompts with context, format and examples.
Checking AI output before it goes to a client or a manager.
What data must never go into a chatbot, and why.
Practice on the person's own work, not generic examples.

Our guide to AI training for employees goes through what to look for in more detail.

Which staff should we train first?

Start where AI saves the most hours and where a mistake costs the most: people who write a lot, handle documents or work with client data. That usually means administrators, finance teams, HR and sales. Training them first also gives you internal champions who can help the next group.

Spread a large group over several Mondays rather than sending everyone at once, so that the business keeps running while people learn.

Is this legal or verification advice?

No. This page is general information about how AI training usually fits into B-BBEE skills development. The codes, your sector and your agency's interpretation all matter. Confirm what counts for your company with a SANAS-accredited verification agency, and take legal or tax questions to an attorney or accountant.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI training count for B-BBEE skills development?

Yes. Short AI training can count as skills development spend if you keep the records, but it is informal training, so only part of your skills spend can come from it. Your verification agency confirms what counts.

Is B-BBEE AI training free if we claim it back?

No. Nothing is paid back for buying training. The SETA mandatory grant comes from submitting your WSP and ATR, whatever training you buy, and discretionary grants are usually for accredited programmes.

What records do we need?

Keep the invoice, an attendance register, a certificate per learner, proof of payment and a short course description, matched to your employee records.