What excellence in beauty industry education and upskilling should look like

Skincare therapist and nail technicians looking qualify as professionals or to upskill themselves further are spoilt for choice for suitable training academies in South Africa. But what should you look out for to ensure you get professional training that opens doors for you? Here is advice from four of South Africa’s beauty training institutions.

Pioneering excellence in beauty education

For 69 years, Madge Wallace International College of Skincare & Body Therapy has been synonymous with quality training and expertise in the beauty industry. The college’s unwavering focus on student development has kept it at the top of its field.

As a multi-faceted training provider in skincare, beauty, body therapy, and dermal aesthetics, Madge Wallace is at the forefront of course development and producing highly sought-after graduates with diploma and certificate qualifications.

Recently the college has partnered with some iconic global brands and agencies, opening up international job opportunities for these graduates. It also has a longstanding relationship with the South African representative of the London Wellness Academy, which recruits therapists for the cruise liner industry. This provides work opportunities for qualified and ambitious therapists seeking adventure and work experience.

In early 2025, an exciting new partnership emerged with Qatar Airways who is looking to recruit Madge Wallace graduates for the prestigious Christian Dior Spa in Doha. This collaboration promises to foster new opportunities for junior to senior-level therapists to work internationally on an ongoing basis.

February this year will see the first Qatar Airways recruitment drive take place at the Madge Wallace campus in Craighall near Johannesburg. Candidates who successfully make it through presentations, interviews and skills tests will get to work for and be mentored by some of the global beauty industry’s top therapists.

Quality tertiary education and upskilling produces industry-ready graduates

The South African beauty and wellness industry is undergoing rapid transformation, fuelled by evolving consumer trends, technological advancements, and a growing emphasis on holistic self-care.

For businesses to thrive in this competitive space, they need a highly skilled, industry-ready workforce. This is a challenge that the DMR Institute of Beauty addresses as a premier Skills Development Provider (SDP).

The DMR Institute of Beauty ensures that students graduate with internationally recognised qualifications while meeting the highest professional standards set within South Africa. It does so by aligning with global accreditation bodies (CIDESCO and ITEC,) and local regulatory standards, including the South African Association of Health and Skincare Professionals (SAAHSP).

In addition, the institute’s strong affiliation with sister companies, such as, Camelot Spa, Cspa Wellness and Marine Spa Distributors, creates an ecosystem that bridges education, employment, and industry development, securing a pipeline of skilled graduates for the country’s leading spa and wellness brands.

By aligning its curricula with SAAHSP’s competency frameworks, the institute guarantees that its graduates meet the highest national standards. This enables seamless industry integration, providing students with recognition, credibility, and job-readiness upon graduation.

Aesthetic treatments require advanced training courses

The Aesthetic Training Academy (ATA) was born in 2017, because I saw a gap in the market for professional aesthetic training programmes geared to already qualified beauty therapists, Somatologists and medical professionals, says founder Susanne Ableitinger, who is a Somatologist and aesthetic practitioner.

“A lot of us studied in the 1980s and 1990s when beauty therapy was still just that – beauty therapy,” says Ableitinger. “It was about creating a pampering environment for our clients and spoiling them with cosmetic product treatments.”

However, with the advent of Botox and fillers, microneedling and laser treatments, there was no formal training for already qualified professionals.

“All and sundry started to offer training in microneedling, dermaplaning and laser treatments,” says Ableitinger. “They ranged from suppliers, who wanted to sell equipment and therefore needed to show the buyer how to use the devices, to therapists who were offering the treatment in their salons and thought they are trainers.”

As aesthetic treatments became more and more mainstream, Ableitinger discovered that there was no professional training focusing on the actual treatment and theory. Also, the skincare products became more pharmaceutical and so aesthetic skincare treatments were born.

“Our training courses focus on the theory of the treatment and not the brand,” says Ableitinger, “and they are all approved by the South African Association of Health and Skincare Professionals under Continuing Professional Development.”