Sondela Academy culinary students in chef whites — From Training to Employment

A Sondela Academy × TiOLi Advisory Initiative

the YIELD initiative

Youth Investment, Employability & Labour Development

Your training spend is a government incentive. But most businesses don't fully leverage it yet.

South African skills development legislation was designed to reward businesses that invest in people. Tax deductions, PAYE savings, skills levy offsets, and employment tax incentives are already written into law — waiting to be claimed.

Sondela Academy has spent twenty years perfecting Work-Integrated Learning on a 4,800-hectare nature reserve. The YIELD Programme packages that expertise into a practical framework that turns your training obligation into a measurable talent return.

Explore How YIELD Works See the Three Pathways

R40,000

Tax deduction per learner i

Section 12H of the Income Tax Act: annual deduction of up to R40,000 per qualifying learner in a registered learnership.

R2,500

Monthly PAYE saving i

Employment Tax Incentive (ETI): employers with qualifying learners under 30 can offset up to R2,500/month against PAYE.

20%

Skills levy reclaimable i

Mandatory SETA grant: reclaim up to 20% of your Skills Development Levy through a compliant Workplace Skills Plan submission.

24 months

ETI claim window i

The ETI incentive applies for up to 24 months per qualifying employee, providing sustained PAYE savings over the learnership.

All figures are illustrative estimates based on current South African legislation. Actual amounts depend on your business size, sector, SETA registration, NQF level, and tax position. This is not financial or tax advice — consult your tax advisor for your specific situation.

The Sondela Connection

Sondela Academy has perfected this model. Now it works for you.

For two decades, Sondela Academy has hosted Work-Integrated Learning programmes on its nature reserve — training young South Africans in hospitality, conservation and culinary arts while navigating every layer of SETA registration, learnership compliance and incentive recovery.

That institutional knowledge is rare. YIELD packages it into a structured programme so that your business can access the same tax deductions, PAYE savings, and skills levy offsets — without building the compliance infrastructure from scratch.

Whether you host a single learner or redesign your entire skills ecosystem, we bring the regulatory framework, the training delivery, and the claim documentation. You bring the workplace.

GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES SONDELA MODEL YOUR BUSINESS

Three Pathways

Choose your entry point. Scale when you're ready.

Discover

Workshop & Diagnostic

A half- or full-day working session that maps your current training spend against available incentives, identifies quick wins, and delivers a personalised YIELD scorecard.

From R6,500/seat

Half-day or full-day format

Learn more Most Popular

Deploy

WIL Host Partnership

Become a Work-Integrated Learning host site. We place SETA-registered learners in your operation, handle compliance paperwork, and guide you through every incentive claim — from Section 12H deductions to ETI offsets.

From R25,000/year

Annual partnership fee

Learn more

Design

Full Skills Ecosystem

A bespoke, end-to-end skills development programme designed around your business. We build the Workplace Skills Plan, register learnerships, manage SETA relationships, and maximise every available incentive across a multi-year horizon.

From R220,000 Year 1

Full programme engagement

Learn more

Quick Assessment

Is YIELD right for you?

Three quick questions. No data collected. Instant answer.

1. Is your annual wage bill above R500,000?

2. Are you in hospitality, tourism, conservation, or food & beverage?

3. Are you currently hosting, or considering hosting, learners?

Sondela × TiOLi

From Training Obligation to Talent Return.