Wahl Academy South Africa

Wahl Academy South Africa is the training arm of the clipper manufacturer Wahl, based at Hinghamfield Office Park on Boeing Road East in Bedfordview, on the eastern edge of the Johannesburg metro. It is the best-credentialled barbering provider in this directory’s South African listings: it is accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations under accreditation number 07-QCTO/AC-TTC020425150459, and operates as a QCTO Trade Test Centre and Assessment Centre, meaning it can both train barbers and assess them for the national trade qualification.

The flagship programme is the Signature Barber Course, eight days, priced between R17,999 and R35,999 depending on the tier chosen. A part-time route runs three days a week over three months at R30,000, and Red Seal Trade Test certification is offered separately at R6,000. Alongside these sit a set of one-day modules that can be taken individually: cutting theory and techniques at R1,550, and scissor and shears cutting, basic clipper cutting, fading and pattern design, colouring and styling, waxing and threading, and hot towel shaving at R2,550 each, with advanced clipper cutting at R3,550. The academy also runs pre-trade-test training and assessment of recognition of prior learning for barbers who are already working. NQF levels are not published against individual courses.