Aquaculture Innovations Training & Self-Study Courses (South Africa)

Summary

Aquaculture Innovations (aquaafrica.co.za, Grahamstown/Makhanda and Pretoria, South Africa) is a private service provider to the Southern African aquaculture industry, run by Leslie Ter Morshuizen, offering training courses, consultancies, and aquaculture products. Its training catalogue includes a 5-day Advanced Fish Farmer and Aquaponics Course (listed at R7,960 per delegate), a 3-day Fish Farm Management Course (R4,760), a 2-day Aquaponics Course (R3,200), and 1-day aquaponics sessions, delivered in Pretoria on a working farm and scheduled on demand with a minimum of five delegates. Earlier offerings included a 5-day Practical Fish Farmer Course in Grahamstown and combined aquaculture/aquaponics courses delivered in various countries. To serve learners who cannot travel, Aquaculture Innovations has uploaded its study material as self-study modules in its online shop — enabling distance learning at home without time off work — with chapters purchasable individually so learners can target specific topics (e.g., water quality). The company also publishes an active blog/e-newsletter and YouTube training videos. It is listed in the DFFE/SAIMI Aquaculture Skills Programmes booklet among South Africa's non-accredited, experience-based training providers serving emerging farmers and small-scale producers.

Guiding Principles

Transferable Skills: Courses convert commercial farm experience into structured, purchasable modules — moving tacit industry knowledge into formats individuals can study remotely and apply on their own farms.
Rural Revitalization: The training is explicitly aimed at new entrants and emerging farmers, building the skilled workforce that South African aquaculture development depends on.
Community Self-Sufficiency: Graduates gain the competence to design and run their own fish and aquaponic production rather than depending on consultants.

Learning Outcomes & Transferable Skills

Learners develop Food Production competence across species selection, system design and management, feeding and breeding; applied Water Chemistry (water-quality monitoring and management); Entrepreneurship (capital/operational cost comparison and profitability analysis across infrastructure options); and Project Management for farm setup. The self-study format itself builds self-directed learning discipline transferable to other vocational domains.

How to Replicate or Build On It

Browse the training catalogue at aquaafrica.co.za/aquaculture-training; courses are scheduled on request and require a 5-delegate minimum — groups can self-organize to trigger a course.
For distance learning, purchase self-study course modules from the online shop (linked from the homepage under "Self-study Courses"); chapters can be bought individually.
Use the free blog articles and YouTube videos as a zero-cost entry point before paying for modules.
Cross-check course scope against the DFFE/SAIMI Aquaculture Skills Programmes booklet to compare with accredited alternatives.
Complement with Aquaponics.co.za Training Courses (Aquaculture Solutions) for a second South African provider's perspective, and INMED South Africa Adaptive Agriculture & Aquaponics for subsidized community pathways.

Considerations & Constraints

Cost: Paid — roughly R3,200 (2-day aquaponics) to R7,960 (5-day advanced course) per delegate; self-study module prices are listed in the online shop. Guesthouse discounts exist for Pretoria attendees.
Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate; no formal prerequisites, pitched at new and existing farmers.
Space/Climate: Training occurs on working farms in Gauteng/Eastern Cape; content addresses Southern African species, climates, and markets.
Tools Required: None for study; applying the content requires access to tanks, pumps, and grow infrastructure.
Ongoing Maintenance: None for the materials themselves; farm operation skills require practice.
Access Barriers: English only; in-person courses need travel to Pretoria and a delegate quorum; self-study modules are paid downloads; courses are not SETA-accredited (attendance certificate level).

Prerequisites

None. Literacy and basic numeracy assumed.

Primary Source

Aquaculture Innovations training page: https://www.aquaafrica.co.za/aquaculture-training