EMEA Excellence and Equity in Training Initiative
South Africa hosts the EMEA Master Trainer Programme
From 15 to 19 June 2026, St John South Africa welcomes first aid training leaders from across the region to Fish Hoek, Cape Town, for the next edition of the EMEA Master Trainer Programme.
The Master Trainer Programme is an intensive week of train-the-trainer development that brings together senior trainers from St John associations across the EMEA region. Its goal is simple: wherever in the world you learn first aid from St John, the training should be consistent, high quality and genuinely lifesaving.
This edition, hosted in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, welcomes delegates from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Malawi and Mauritius alongside the host nation, South Africa, supported by an experienced facilitation team drawn from across the Order of St John.
The week begins before the formal sessions do. Delegates arrive on Saturday 13 June for practical skills assessments, gather on Sunday for a mini-seminar at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology followed by an excursion, and are welcomed at an opening dinner on Sunday evening. The formal training programme then runs from Monday 15 to Friday 19 June.
Why master trainers matter
When an emergency happens, the first person on the scene is rarely a medical professional. It is a parent, a colleague, a bystander. Up to 59% of deaths from injuries could be prevented with timely first aid intervention. That is why St John trains more than two million people in first aid every year across its 44 establishments worldwide.
Behind every one of those courses stands a trainer. The Master Trainer Programme invests in the people who teach, equipping them to:
- Standardise first aid skills, from the latest 2025 CPR protocols onward, so training stays current and aligned with international standard across every St John training centre.
- Sharpen teaching methodologies to structure sessions well, engage diverse audiences and adapt to different learning styles.
- Strengthen communication and presentation skills through practice and constructive feedback.
- Remove barriers to learning and create safe, inclusive environments where every learner can participate fully.
- Multiply knowledge by returning home to train more trainers, expanding access to lifesaving skills across their countries.
A growing regional movement
The programme forms part of the EMEA Excellence and Equity in Training Initiative, a regionally developed programme funded through St John International with funds donated to the Order of St John. South Africa has been central to it from the start.
The Master Trainer Programme so far:
- Cape Town, South Africa (May 2025) - the inaugural programme, with participants from South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Nairobi, Kenya (July 2025) - hosted by St John Ambulance Kenya
- Johannesburg, South Africa (October 2025)
- Nairobi, Kenya (February 2026) - with delegates from Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana and the Priory of Kenya
Later this year the programme travels to the United Kingdom, underlining a truly regional commitment to consistent, high-impact first aid education.
South Africa's role
St John has been active in South Africa since 1883, with operational centres in six of the nine provinces. Hosting the Master Trainer Programme reflects South Africa's leadership in first aid training innovation and delivery, and our commitment to supporting sister St John organisations across sub-Saharan Africa and the wider EMEA region.
Every master trainer who completes the programme returns home as an ambassador of clinical excellence and community education. By investing in trainers, we invest in communities: stronger skills, better teaching and more lives saved.
Follow the week
We will be sharing updates, photos and insights throughout the programme on our social channels. Follow Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Want to learn lifesaving skills yourself? Explore our first aid training courses or contact us about group bookings.