A wireman's licence is a valuable certificate as it proves that the electrician (registered person) put hard work into their studies and has the necessary skills to perform electrical work. These skills include the ability to conduct verification and certification of the construction, testing and inspection of electrical installations. Once the electrician has their wireman's licence, they can issue electrical compliance certificates (ECOC). Additionally, the wireman's licence proves an electrician is competent to inspect and repair electrical installations. If you don't have a wireman's licence, you are considered an unlicensed electrician which makes it illegal for you to operate as an electrician in South Africa.
Who issues a Wiremans licence?
A Wiremans licence is issued by the Department of Labour (DOL) once they are satisfied that you have complied with their requirements.
How do I obtain a Wiremans licence?
In order to obtain a wiremans licence, you must submit documents and proof of your skills to the Department of Labour (DOL) to assure them that you have completed the necessary standards for inspection, testing and certification as prescribed by EWSETA. This proof is obtained by using an assessor who is registered with EWSETA.
The assessor must establish if the electrician has the necessary skills as determined by EWSETA for electrical installations. The applicant will need to prove to the assessor by way of test instruments and inspection reports that they grasp the necessary electrical concepts and are able to interpret the readings of the test instruments. Additionally, the applicant would need to determine if an electrical installation aligns with a given electrical compliance certificate (ECOC).
If the applicant is found to be competent by the assessor, the assessor sends the necessary details to EWSETA who will then issue the applicant with a letter that can be used for the registration (Wiremans licence registration) with the DOL.
Once you have submitted all the necessary documents and proof to the DOL and they are satisfied you have met their requirements, they will issue you with a one or three year wiremans licence. Once the licence is activated, you will be given a Registration Number by the Department of Labour. This registration number allows you to purchase Certificates of Compliance and the wiremans licence is therefore used as proof when purchasing electrical certificates.
We recommend applying for a three year wiremans licence (Option on the registration form) as the processing time at the DOL is slow.
Checklist - Wiremans licence
Wiremans licence sample from the Department of Labour
