How to get the GCC Factories certificate after passing the exams
Updated: Sep 9
You have put in all the hard work to pass the GCC Factories plant engineering and OHS Act exams.
Congratulations to you!
Now what?
In this post, I will provide guidelines on what you need to do after passing the two GCC Factories exams. I will cover the following:
What to do after passing the GCC Factories exams?
Once you have passed the two GCC Factories exams (Plant Engineering + OHS Act), you need to send your statement of results to the Commission of Examiners at the Department of Employment and Labour (DOEL).
The Commission of Examiners will then recommend the issue of your Mechanical/Electrical Engineer's Certificate of Competency (aka GCC Factories) by the Chief Inspector.
Under what conditions will the Commission of Examiners recommend issue of the GCC Factories certificate?
The Commission of Examiners will recommend the issue of your certificate by the Chief Inspector if you have met all the GCC Factories requirements that are in the Certificate of Competency Regulations.
These include:
Having the prescribed qualification and experience to be accepted to write the GCC Factories exams
Obtaining the letter of acceptance to write the GCC Factories exams
Registering to write the GCC Factories exams with an approved TVET college
Writing and passing the GCC Factories plant engineering and OHS Act exams within the prescribed period
Sending the official results to the Commission of Examiners and formally applying for the issue of the GCC Factories certificate
In what format must the statement of results be in?
The Commission of Examiners will not accept a statement of results on the exam center's letterhead.
You need to submit a statement of results issued by the Department of Higher Education and Training. It looks like this:
Where should I send the statement of results?
You must send your GCC Factories request to the Commission of Examiners using one of the following addresses:
The postal address details:
The Secretary
Commission of Examiners, Department of Employment and Labour
Private bag X117
Pretoria
0001
The physical address details:
The Secretary
Commission of Examiners, Department of Employment and Labour
215 Francis Baard Street
Pretoria Central
Pretoria
0001
Can I send the results via email?
Strictly speaking, you need to submit the statement of results and request the GCC Factories certificate by post or physical address.
In some cases, candidates email the GCC Factories administrators and get the process through. But we have seen candidates experiencing delays with this approach. So, send the application via post or to the Labour physical address.
What must I include when doing my submission?
From our experience, sending the following documentation assists in processing the application faster:
Certified copy of identity document
Certified copy of the statement of results
Certified copy of the GCC Factories letter of acceptance
A formal letter requesting your GCC Factories certificate
How long will it take to receive my GCC Factories certificate?
It may take 2 to 8 weeks to receive a response. We have seen applications take longer than this, and it may be for several reasons, which I am not going to go through here.
It may help to follow up about 4 weeks after submission and thereafter in week 8.
How can I follow up on the progress?
At the present moment, you can follow up on the submission by emailing leema.mofokeng@labour.gov.za and Mphakanyana.Moloto@labour.gov.za
You can try calling (012) 309 4111. They answer calls when they are available, so you will need to be patient if you use this option.
If you are around Pretoria, you may visit the DOEL head office at Laboria House, 215 Francis Baard Street. This option also has its challenges, as administrators may not be available to assist you when you arrive at the office. Some candidates report being assisted, while others were not.
In short, the efficient option is to follow up using the email addresses provided above.
We have seen GCC Factories administrators changing over time. We will maintain contact details of the latest administrator(s) above.
Remember to give the DOEL some time to process your application. Use the above-estimated timelines.
Is there a fee to submit the statement of results and request the GCC Factories certificate?
No.
What should I do after receiving my GCC Factories certificate?
I would make copies of the certificate and store the original in a safe location. Getting a duplicate of the GCC Factories certificate is quite a process, so make sure you keep it safe.
Another next step will be to update your CV and, depending on your situation, you could:
Start applying for jobs that require the GCC Factories certificate or where the GCC Factories certificate will be advantageous, or
Submit your certificate to your employer for possible appointment as GMR 2 or acting GMR 2.
Does it mean that I can be appointed as GMR 2 once I obtain my GCC Factories certificate?
Short answer: yes.
But there are some nuances to understand about the GMR 2 appointment. GCC Factories allows you to be appointed as a GMR 2 when the sum of the power generated by machinery is above 3000 kW or, where the machinery is used for electricity distribution, the maximum demand is above 10000 kVA.
Click here to learn more about the different GMR 2 competency levels.
However, remember that you still need at least two years of maintenance and operation experience in the class of machinery you will be appointed for as GMR 2. This is not directly stipulated this way in the competency (d) definition, but the industry and the inspector generally understand it this way. Besides that, it is prudent that you satisfy this experience requirement because, at the end of the day, you will be carrying the legal liability, so it's essential to know what you are doing.
I would advise you to join our 'Understanding and Fulfilling the Role of the GMR 2' short course to learn about the GMR 2:
Legal liability,
Role and responsibility, and
Practical approach to developing a management system that ensures you protect yourself from legal liability and ensures you fulfill your role and responsibilities.
Click here to learn more about the short course.
Do I need to renew my certificate over time?
Fortunately or unfortunately, the GCC Factories does not require Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to maintain the certification. This means that you have the certificate indefinitely.
However, the Chief Inspector may suspend or cancel your certificate "by virtue of information submitted to him by anyone, and after investigation, is of the opinion that the holder of a certificate of competency was guilty of gross negligence or misconduct in the execution of his duties as holder of such certificate..."
Where can I download the exam paper?
Click here to access GCC Factories past exam papers and see how the exams were structured and what questions were asked.
Where can I get the solutions to the past exams?
A majority of the questions in the GCC Factories Plant Engineering and OHS Act exam papers are covered in Book 3 of the Palucraft GCC Factories study material.
Click here to order Plant Engineering Book 3.
Click here to order the OHS Act Book 3.
What to expect as a response from the Department of Employment and Labour?
The Department of Employment and Labour issues the following Certificates of Competency:
Certificate of Competency as Mechanical Engineer (Factories)
Certificate of Competency as Electrical Engineer (Factories)
They look like the example below, but they have updated their template to align with the new name of the Department.
What does it mean to have the GCC Factories?
We refer to the Certificate of Competency as the GCC Factories. You will then be a Certificated Engineer in terms of the General Machinery Regulations (GMR) & the Certificate of Competency Regulations.
The terms of the GMR, the GCC Factories make you eligible to be appointed as a GMR 2 where the sum of the power generated by machinery is above 3000 kW or, where the machinery is used for electricity distribution, the maximum demand is above 10000 kVA.
Click here for a summary of the GMR 2 legal context.
Our GMR 2 short course provides a more detailed breakdown of the GMR 2 legal context, role, responsibilities, and how to build a management system to ensure compliance and protect your legal liability. Click here to learn more about the course.
Next steps
Watch for my next email, where I will discuss the May/June 2026 exams and show where the solutions are covered in the Palucraft material.
I strongly recommend you consider our 'Understanding and Fulfilling the Role of the GMR 2' short course, happening 23-25 November 2026. I will share more details in future emails, but for now, click here to learn more about the short course.
Conclusion
In this post, I shared all you need to know about the process of obtaining the GCC Factories certificate after passing the plant engineering and OHS Act exams.
Passing the GCC Factories exams does not mean that you have obtained your certificate and are now a certificated engineer. You still need to submit your statement of results in an appropriate format to obtain your certificate.
The Chief Inspector will only issue the GCC Factories certificate once the Commission of Examiners recommends that you be issued the certificate.
You must send the relevant supporting documents and a formal letter to the Commission of Examiners. The formal letter can be in any format and must state that you are requesting your certificate after passing the GCC Factories exams.
Other information
Review the following information to learn more about the GCC Factories:
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