Boilermaker
Boilermakers cut, roll and join heavy steel plate to build wind turbine towers, storage tanks and pressure vessels, which are strong containers that hold gases such as hydrogen under pressure. Wind turbine towers are already made in South Africa, and so are some parts of the equipment used to make and store hydrogen.
Jobs in the energy transition
Wind tower fabricator
You'd mark out, cut, roll and join thick steel plate into the tube sections of wind turbine towers at a factory such as the one in Atlantis near Cape Town.
Hydrogen storage tank fabricator
You'd build and repair the tanks and pressure vessels that store hydrogen and other gases safely under pressure.
Steel fabricator for the power grid
You'd build steel structures for power lines and substations in factories that supply the expansion of the national grid.
How to get there
The qualifications
You'd work towards the National Occupational Certificate: Boilermaker, which is at NQF Level 4, the same level as Matric, and replaced an older boilermaker certificate in 2025.
What you need to start
The official minimum is a Grade 9 pass, or another qualification at the same level, with Mathematics.
These are the official minimum requirements, and colleges can set higher ones.
Where you can study
Data verified June–July 2026 from official college publications and the DHET occupational qualifications register. Spot an error? Suggest a correction.
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