Training South Africa's Auctioneers Since 1986

The South African College of Auctioneering is the country's original, dedicated school for the auction trade. Since 1986 we have taught the craft the way it's meant to be learned — in person, on the rostrum, in front of a real crowd. Generations of the country's working auctioneers started here.

Founded by a Master Auctioneer

The college was founded by Col. Hedley Harris, one of South Africa's most respected auctioneers and the founder of Hedley Harris Auctioneers. A Master Auctioneer inducted into the SAIA Hall of Fame, Col. Harris has personally trained more than 50,000 auctioneers over his career — building the standard by which the profession is taught in this country.

His conviction was simple: the auctioneer's chant, ring control and the law of the sale are learned skills, not gifts you're born with — and the fastest, most honest way to learn them is by doing, under the eye of someone who has called thousands of sales.

Led today by Jeanine Di Bucci

The college is led today by director Jeanine Di Bucci, herself a 2002 graduate of the college. Jeanine guides every student personally — from first enquiry through to the day they call their live student auction and graduate. When you contact the college, you deal with her directly.

Recognised in the industry

Our accreditation runs through the South African Institute of Auctioneers (SAIA), the profession's self-regulatory body, alongside a long-standing historical affiliation with the National Auctioneers Association (NAA). International auctioneer Mike Jones has described the training here as on par with US auctioneering instruction — high praise in a field the Americans effectively defined.

Over four decades our graduates have gone on to lead auction houses and build their own businesses across livestock, property, vehicle and estate auctions — in South Africa and across the region.

What makes the training different

• Real rostrum time — small classes so every student actually calls, not just watches.
• A live student auction — you call a real public auction before you graduate.
• The full craft — bid-calling, voice and ring control, clerking, salesmanship, and auction law and ethics.
• Heritage that counts — you learn from a lineage that has shaped SA auctioneering for 40 years.

From our graduates

"I was retrenched after nearly ten years in the industry. I trained with the college and went out on my own — within months I'd sold a farm for R3.8 million." — Leon Thanasaras, Zululand Auctioneers

Read more on the gallery, or start with our guide on how to become an auctioneer in South Africa.