Registration
Animal health technicians are members of a learned and honourable profession and are required to always act in such a manner as to maintain and promote the honour, dignity and interests of the profession. Animal health technicians take on the responsibility to promote animal health, relieving the suffering of animals and assisting in the saving of animal lives.
An animal health technician’s declaration upon qualification
When you become an animal health technician, you solemnly declare that you will:
- practice the profession with honesty and integrity;
- maintain and uphold high professional and scientific standards;
- treat your patients to the best of your knowledge and ability and never intentionally cause them harm;
- use your professional knowledge, skills and resources to protect and promote the health and welfare of animals and humans;
- continue to improve your professional knowledge; and
- strive to further the status and image of the profession of animal health technician.
No person may practise as an animal health technician unless that person is registered with the SAVC or authorised by the SAVC to perform certain functions of an animal health technician.
Special Dispensation – AHT Registration amnesty applications closed on 14 July 2023
- Prescribed qualification to practice as an animal health technician
- Register to work as an animal health technician
Prescribed qualification to practice as an animal health technician
In order to qualify to practice as an animal health technician in South Africa, you must be in possession of the prescribed qualification as defined in the Veterinary and Para-Veterinary Professions Act (Act 19 of 1982).
UNISA (Diploma in Animal Health), North-West University (Diploma in Animal Health; BSc Agric (Animal Health) and Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) (Diploma in Animal Health) offer training for the qualification of animal health technician. After successful completion of these courses, individuals can apply to become a registered animal health technician and work ethically in the field of animal health.
No person may practise as an animal health technician unless that person is registered with the SAVC or authorised by the SAVC to perform certain functions of an animal health technician.
Register to work as an animal health technician professional
The animal health technicians’ rules include relevant information on the conduct for animal health technicians:
- A person who practises the para-veterinary profession of animal health technician shall base his or her personal and professional conduct thereon that he or she is a member of a learned and honourable profession and is required to act at all times in such a manner as will maintain and promote the prestige, honour, dignity and interests of the profession and of the persons by whom it is practised.
- The fundamental responsibilities of animal health technicians are to save lives, to relieve suffering and to promote health.
- An animal health technician shall keep himself or herself abreast of the ethical rules and the laws which affect him or her in the practising of his or her profession and shall, as far as it lies within his or her power, assist in the application of those rules and laws.
- An animal health technician must at all times maintain the highest standard of nursing care and professional conduct.
- An animal health technician shall regard any information acquired during the course of his or her employment as confidential and shall refrain from divulging such information to any person except his or her employer.
- An animal health technician is bound to execute the instructions of a person practising a veterinary profession discerningly and faithfully and shall refuse to take part in any unethical behaviour.
- An animal health technician shall refrain from expressing any criticism in public through which the reputation, status or practice of a colleague in the profession is or could be undermined or injured, or through which a reflection is or could be cast on the probity, skill, methods or conduct of such a colleague.
- Subject to the provisions of Part III of the Rules Relating to the practising of veterinary professions published by government Notice No. R. 2086 of 1 October 1982, as amended an animal health technician in private practice shall under no circumstances—
- advertise the practice or products of his or her employer; and
- appear in advertisements as an animal health technician unless it is an advertisement of the employer which complies with the rules relating to the practising
For an individual to be registered as an animal health technician, the applicant must be a holder of the prescribed qualification:
- UNISA (Diploma in Animal Health);
- North-West University (Diploma in Animal Health);
- North-West University BSc Agric (Animal Health); or
- Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) (Diploma in Animal Health)
Requirements for registration as an animal health technician:
- completed SAVC application form;
- certified copy of ID document or valid passport;
- certified copy of diploma / degree (Diploma in Animal Health or BSc degree in animal health); and
- proof of payment of the application fee, when applicable.
Once registered with Council as an animal health technician, a person will receive a SAVC registration certificate with a registration number to work legally in the field as animal health technician professional and continue in your chosen field of veterinary services.
No person may practise as an animal health technician unless that person is registered with the SAVC or authorised by the SAVC to perform certain functions of an animal health technician.
Prescribed qualification to practice as an animal health technician
Prescribed qualification to practice as an animal health technician
In order to qualify to practice as an animal health technician in South Africa, you must be in possession of the prescribed qualification as defined in the Veterinary and Para-Veterinary Professions Act (Act 19 of 1982).
UNISA (Diploma in Animal Health), North-West University (Diploma in Animal Health; BSc Agric (Animal Health) and Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) (Diploma in Animal Health) offer training for the qualification of animal health technician. After successful completion of these courses, individuals can apply to become a registered animal health technician and work ethically in the field of animal health.
No person may practise as an animal health technician unless that person is registered with the SAVC or authorised by the SAVC to perform certain functions of an animal health technician.
Register to work as an animal health technician
Register to work as an animal health technician professional
The animal health technicians’ rules include relevant information on the conduct for animal health technicians:
- A person who practises the para-veterinary profession of animal health technician shall base his or her personal and professional conduct thereon that he or she is a member of a learned and honourable profession and is required to act at all times in such a manner as will maintain and promote the prestige, honour, dignity and interests of the profession and of the persons by whom it is practised.
- The fundamental responsibilities of animal health technicians are to save lives, to relieve suffering and to promote health.
- An animal health technician shall keep himself or herself abreast of the ethical rules and the laws which affect him or her in the practising of his or her profession and shall, as far as it lies within his or her power, assist in the application of those rules and laws.
- An animal health technician must at all times maintain the highest standard of nursing care and professional conduct.
- An animal health technician shall regard any information acquired during the course of his or her employment as confidential and shall refrain from divulging such information to any person except his or her employer.
- An animal health technician is bound to execute the instructions of a person practising a veterinary profession discerningly and faithfully and shall refuse to take part in any unethical behaviour.
- An animal health technician shall refrain from expressing any criticism in public through which the reputation, status or practice of a colleague in the profession is or could be undermined or injured, or through which a reflection is or could be cast on the probity, skill, methods or conduct of such a colleague.
- Subject to the provisions of Part III of the Rules Relating to the practising of veterinary professions published by government Notice No. R. 2086 of 1 October 1982, as amended an animal health technician in private practice shall under no circumstances—
- advertise the practice or products of his or her employer; and
- appear in advertisements as an animal health technician unless it is an advertisement of the employer which complies with the rules relating to the practising
For an individual to be registered as an animal health technician, the applicant must be a holder of the prescribed qualification:
- UNISA (Diploma in Animal Health);
- North-West University (Diploma in Animal Health);
- North-West University BSc Agric (Animal Health); or
- Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI) (Diploma in Animal Health)
Requirements for registration as an animal health technician:
- completed SAVC application form;
- certified copy of ID document or valid passport;
- certified copy of diploma / degree (Diploma in Animal Health or BSc degree in animal health); and
- proof of payment of the application fee, when applicable.
Once registered with Council as an animal health technician, a person will receive a SAVC registration certificate with a registration number to work legally in the field as animal health technician professional and continue in your chosen field of veterinary services.
No person may practise as an animal health technician unless that person is registered with the SAVC or authorised by the SAVC to perform certain functions of an animal health technician.
