Engineering company Bühler Southern Africa is looking at a pilot apprentice exchange with National Foods Zimbabwe. The plan was discussed at an industry skills meeting the company hosted in late October 2026.
Under the proposed pilot, three apprentices from Bühler Johannesburg and three from National Foods Zimbabwe would spend time at the partner company. Each placement would last three months, with a possible start date of 1 February 2027.
The plan still depends on final agreements, budgets and travel arrangements, according to Cape Business News. The exchange is meant to give apprentices more workplace experience and help them build technical and work skills.
“Our question today is how do we make them work together in practice and at a scale that actually creates value,” said Rachael Madziwanyika, chief financial officer and head of HR at Bühler Southern Africa.
The meeting was the second event of the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) hosted by Bühler Southern Africa. It was titled Advancing Value-Chain Quality Apprenticeships in South Africa, Part 2.
The event brought together industry members, skills experts and international partners. It followed talks held in June, and looked at how to turn general support for apprenticeships into practical work between employers.
Shanita Roopnarain, chief executive of the Swiss-South African Cooperation Initiative (SSACI), said policy, training colleges and employers must be better linked. She said training should match what workplaces need.
“We cannot do this. Employers cannot do it by themselves. Government cannot do it by themselves. And we have got to find the medium to be able to work together,” Roopnarain said.
Kathryn Rowan, executive director of GAN Global, spoke about how apprenticeships are run in other countries. She said employers need practical guidance on mentoring, supervision, inclusion and how apprentices move forward in their careers.
Rowan also said companies need to see the return they get from apprenticeship programmes. This would help more businesses take part, she said.
Speakers at the meeting said businesses could share training chances and experience along their supply chains, including with smaller firms.
Youth unemployment among South Africans aged 15 to 34 reached 47.4% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Stats SA.
Bühler runs a global apprenticeship programme based on the Swiss dual model. This mixes work on the job with classroom lessons.
The company said it trained 524 apprentices at 24 sites around the world in 2025. Its courses last three or four years and cover ten trade fields.
In Switzerland, 67% of apprentices who finished their training in August 2025 chose to keep working for Bühler, the company said.
“Developing the skills needed for the future requires sustained commitment from employers, training institutions and government, as well as meaningful opportunities for young people to learn and progress,” Madziwanyika said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Cape Business News. Image: Cape Business News. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.