Crane operator training certifies an operator on one class of lifting machine.
Crane operator training certifies an operator on one class of lifting machine. Fundza runs seven courses in this group, from a two-day slinging course to the five-day operator tickets, and the one you need is decided by the machine on your site rather than by the job title. Every course is assessed at our Mokopane centre, or on your own site for a group.
Four things decide what you book, and when you book it again.
An operator certified on a mobile crane is not certified on a truck-mounted crane or a pendant-controlled overhead crane. Each machine behaves differently once a load is in the air, so each carries its own assessment and its own certificate. Moving an operator onto a class they do not hold means booking that class.
Sections 8 and 13 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 require an employer to provide a safe system of work and to give employees the information, instruction, training and supervision they need to work safely. Putting an operator on a lifting machine they are not certified on is exactly the risk those sections cover. The wider duties sit on our Occupational Health and Safety Act page.
The mobile crane, truck-mounted crane, overhead crane, telehandler and work platform certificates are valid for 24 months from assessment. After that the operator takes the one-day refresher, on each machine class they hold, to renew. Book it before the expiry date rather than after it.
The person who rigs and signals is doing a different job from the person in the cab, and Fundza certifies them separately. On many sites the same person holds both, and the slinging course is the cheaper way into crane work.
Same centre, same assessors. The difference is the machine the certificate covers.
| Course | Duration | Fee | Refresher | Valid | What it certifies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slings Load | 2 days | R1 628 | R940 | Ask us | Selecting and inspecting slings, shackles and lifting tackle, and securing a load |
| Sling and Communicate during Crane Operation | 5 days | R5 462 | R1 094 | Ask us | Coordinating a lift from the ground: rigging, signalling and communicating with the operator |
| Mobile Crane Operator | 5 days | R6 010 | R1 204 | 24 months | Setting up on outriggers and lifting with a mobile crane |
| Truck Mount Crane Operator | 5 days | R6 010 | R1 094 | 24 months | Lifting with a crane mounted on a truck, and inspecting its lifting gear |
| Pendant Controlled Overhead Crane | 5 days | R6 010 | R1 204 | 24 months | Overhead and gantry crane work in a workshop or plant |
| Telescopic Boom Handler | 5 days | R6 010 | R1 204 | 24 months | Telehandler work, including load charts and placing loads at height |
| Mobile Elevated Work Platform | 5 days | R6 010 | R1 204 | 24 months | Working from a mobile elevating work platform, or MEWP |
All fees include VAT, training, assessment and a certificate the learner can download. See every fee on the course fees page.
Four questions settle it.
Two routes cover most operators. Someone new to lifting usually starts with Slings Load, then moves to Mobile Crane Operator, and adds Truck Mount Crane Operator if the site runs both machines. Someone working in a workshop or plant goes straight to Pendant Controlled Overhead Crane, and adds the telescopic boom handler if the yard uses one.
Individual learners train at our centre at 11 Van Riebeeck Street, Mokopane. Fundza does not provide accommodation. For a group, we train on your own site anywhere in South Africa, on your own machines and around your own hazards. Groups have been trained as far as Cape Town. Group size and travel are quoted per booking rather than published. See on-site training.
The five-day operator tickets are R6 010 each, covering the mobile crane, truck-mounted crane, pendant-controlled overhead crane, telescopic boom handler and work platform. Sling and Communicate during Crane Operation is R5 462 over five days, and Slings Load is R1 628 over two days. Every fee includes VAT, training, assessment and a downloadable certificate.
24 months from assessment for the mobile crane, truck-mounted crane, overhead crane, telehandler and work platform tickets. The operator then takes the one-day refresher on each machine class they hold. Ask us about the validity period on the two slinging courses when you book.
No. Each certificate covers one machine class. An operator certified on a mobile crane is not certified on a truck-mounted crane or a pendant-controlled overhead crane, because each machine behaves differently under load and each is assessed separately.
It is not a prerequisite, but it helps. Slings Load is the shortest and cheapest course in this group at two days and R1 628, and understanding how a load behaves from the ground makes the operating course easier. Many sites want the same person to hold both.
No, and they carry their own certificates. The telescopic boom handler and the mobile elevated work platform are separate five-day tickets at R6 010 each, even though both lift and both sit in this group.
Yes. Fundza trains groups on site anywhere in South Africa, on your own machines, and has trained as far as Cape Town. You provide the machine and the space, and we bring the training and the assessment. Group size and travel costs are quoted per booking. See on-site training.
Crane courses sit inside lifting machinery, alongside forklift training. Employers booking a lifting crew should also read group bookings and pricing. Or browse all mining and construction short courses.
Content reviewed for accuracy by Rachel Mamaka, Quality Assurer at Fundza Training Institute.
