Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦

Free PLC training in Johannesburg

Engineers and technicians in Johannesburg can learn PLC programming, SCADA, drives and instrumentation free, online and at their own pace, with the courses below chosen for the city's mining, automotive, power. The optional certificate is US$8.99 (≈ ZAR 160) for a beginner course.

Why automation skills matter in Johannesburg

Johannesburg sits at the centre of Gauteng's mining, automotive and power industries, from Sibanye-Stillwater's West Rand gold mines to the BMW, Ford and Nissan plants around Pretoria and Eskom's headquarters in Sandton, with special economic zones at OR Tambo airport and beside Ford's Silverton plant.

Mining

Sibanye-Stillwater is headquartered in Johannesburg; its Driefontein gold mine is at Carletonville on the West Rand.

Automotive

Gauteng hosts the BMW, Ford and Nissan vehicle plants (Chery going forward at Rosslyn), centred around Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Power

Eskom, South Africa's state power utility, is headquartered in Sunninghill, Sandton.

Ports and logistics

City Deep Terminal in Johannesburg is described as Africa's largest dry port, linked by rail and road to the Port of Durban.

Industrial zones in and around Johannesburg

OR Tambo International Airport SEZ
Ekurhuleni special economic zone run by a Gauteng Growth and Development Agency subsidiary, with airport precincts and a Springs precinct near the Impala Platinum refinery.
Automotive Supplier Park, Rosslyn
Component supplier park in Rosslyn (Tshwane) run by the Automotive Industry Development Centre, serving the Gauteng vehicle plants.
Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone
Automotive supplier park adjacent to Ford's Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria, launched in 2019.
City Deep
Industrial suburb of Johannesburg housing the City Deep container terminal (inland dry port).

Which PLCs you are likely to meet

Local training-market signal (what providers teach, not a market-share figure): Siemens runs SITRAIN South Africa, offering SIMATIC S7-1500 / TIA Portal programming courses (in person at Midrand, Gauteng, and online).

Free courses for Johannesburg

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

Siemens TIA Portal

Drives · Beginner · Free

Variable Frequency Drives: Wiring, Programming, PLC and Network Control

Condition monitoring · Intermediate · Free

Vibration Analysis Training

DCS · Intermediate · Free

Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 DCS

Robotics · Beginner · Free

FANUC Robot Programming with the Teach Pendant and ROBOGUIDE

Robotics · Beginner · Free

ABB Robot Programming with RobotStudio and RAPID

All free courses

The certificate

Beginner US$8.99 (≈ ZAR 160), a one-off fee. Your bank handles any currency conversion. Issued when you pass the course's final assessment, with a code anyone can verify.

How the certificate works

Useful local bodies

For registration and recognised qualifications in South Africa. EDWartens is not affiliated with them.

Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)
Statutory regulator under the Engineering Profession Act 46 of 2000; registers engineering professionals and accredits programmes.
merSETA
Sector Education and Training Authority for manufacturing, engineering and related services, including auto manufacturing and metals and engineering.
Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO)
Develops and quality-assures occupational qualifications and accredits skills development providers.
Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC)
Gauteng Growth and Development Agency subsidiary providing skills development and training for the automotive industry.

Questions from Johannesburg

Is there free PLC training in Johannesburg?

Yes, online. Every EDWartens course is free to learn in full from Johannesburg: video lessons, notes, practice and a final assessment, in English, at your own pace. They run in the vendors' free or trial software with simulators, so you need a computer, not a PLC.

How much is the certificate?

The certificate is optional. For a beginner course it is US$8.99 (about ZAR 160), a one-off fee; intermediate and advanced courses cost a little more. Learning stays free whether or not you buy it.

Which PLC should I learn first in Johannesburg?

Start with Siemens TIA Portal. It matches what plants in the region commonly run; the other courses on this page follow Johannesburg's main industries.

Is the certificate recognised by employers in Johannesburg?

It is an EDWartens Certificate of Completion with a public verification code, not a vendor, university or government qualification. Employers can check it online; many will also want to see a project you built.

Also in South Africa: Durban

Sources

Local facts checked 26 September 2026. Company and plant names are their owners' and are mentioned for context only.