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Welder CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Welders join metal in steel fabrication shops, structural steel yards, pipe spool workshops, mines, power stations and petrochemical plants such as Sasol in Secunda and Sasolburg and the Natref refinery. A lot of the best-paid work is on shutdowns, when a plant stops for a few weeks and contractors bring in hundreds of welders to repair pipework and vessels. A foreman or contractor reads a welder's CV for very specific details: which processes you weld (stick, MIG/MAG, TIG or flux-cored), on which materials, in which positions, and whether you are a coded welder, meaning you hold a current welder qualification test to a standard such as ISO 9606-1, ASME IX or AWS D1.1. They also look for your trade test certificate and your X-ray results, because a welder whose joints keep failing inspection costs the company money.

The example below is for a qualified, coded welder with about eight years after the trade test, who started on structural steel and now does pipe welding on petrochemical shutdowns. If you are newer, list the processes and positions you have practised, any SAIW (Southern African Institute of Welding) or college course, and your N2 subjects, and say if you are an apprentice or busy with ARPL. Keep a copy of each welder qualification certificate ready, because contractors ask for them before they will book you for a weld test of their own.

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Welder CV example

Teboho Mphuthi

Red Seal welder and coded pipe welder (ISO 9606-1 and ASME IX, 6G) with 8 years' fabrication and shutdown experience

082 555 0581 · teboho.mphuthi@example.co.za · Sasolburg, Free State

Profile

Red Seal welder and coded pipe welder with eight years in structural steel fabrication and petrochemical shutdowns in the Vaal and Sasolburg. Holds current welder qualifications to ISO 9606-1 and ASME IX for TIG root with stick fill and cap on carbon steel pipe in the 6G position, and TIG on stainless steel. Works to the WPS on every joint, reads isometric drawings and weld symbols, and kept an X-ray repair rate below 2% across the last four shutdowns. Holds hot work, confined space and working at heights training.

Work experience

Coded Pipe Welder

Vaal Piping and Welding Services (Pty) Ltd, Sasolburg | Mar 2022 – Present

Weld carbon steel process piping on Sasol Sasolburg and Natref shutdowns, with an X-ray repair rate below 2%
Put in TIG roots and stick fill and cap passes on 6G joints to the WPS, recording preheat and interpass temperatures
Weld stainless steel pipe with TIG and argon back purging for chemical plant tie-ins
Fit up and weld about 25 pipe spools a week from isometric drawings in the workshop
Work under hot work and confined space permits on 12-hour day and night shifts

Welder

Riverside Structural Steel (Pty) Ltd, Vanderbijlpark | Nov 2018 – Feb 2022

Welded beams, columns, base plates and trusses with MIG/MAG and flux-cored wire to AWS D1.1
Welded plate in the 3G and 4G positions on site erection work, from scissor lifts and scaffolds
Read shop drawings and weld symbols to check fillet sizes and weld lengths before welding

Apprentice Welder

Riverside Structural Steel (Pty) Ltd, Vanderbijlpark | Jan 2015 – Oct 2018

Completed a merSETA welder apprenticeship in the fabrication workshop
Practised fillet, plate and pipe welds with stick, MIG/MAG and TIG under an artisan's supervision
Passed the welder trade test in October 2018

Education

N2 Engineering Studies

Sedibeng TVET College, 2014, NQF level 3

Subjects: Mathematics N2, Engineering Science N2, Engineering Drawing N2, Plating and Structural Steel Drawing N2

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Zamdela Secondary School, 2013, NQF level 4

Subjects: English First Additional Language, Sesotho Home Language, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Civil Technology, Life Orientation

Skills

SMAW (stick) on plate and pipe
GTAW (TIG) on carbon and stainless steel
GMAW (MIG/MAG) and flux-cored welding
6G pipe and 3G/4G plate positions
Working to a WPS
Isometric drawings and weld symbols
Weld repairs after X-ray and UT
Hot work permits and fire watch

Certificates

Trade Certificate (Red Seal), Welder, Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), 2018
Welder qualification, ISO 9606-1, GTAW root and SMAW fill, carbon steel pipe, H-L045 (6G), SAIW (Southern African Institute of Welding), 2026
Welder qualification, ASME IX, GTAW, stainless steel pipe, 6G, Third-party inspection authority, 2025
IIW International Welder, plate level, SAIW (Southern African Institute of Welding), 2020
Working at Heights and Confined Space Entry, Accredited safety training provider, 2025

Achievements

X-ray repair rate below 2% across four shutdowns since 2022
Continuity record for both coded tests signed up to date every six months

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Own transport:: Yes
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: Sesotho (Home language), English (Fluent), isiZulu (Good), Afrikaans (Good)
Notice period:: One week
Availability:: Available for shutdowns at short notice, 12-hour shifts and work away from home

References

Hennie Oberholzer

Welding Foreman, Vaal Piping and Welding Services (Pty) Ltd

016 555 0472

Puleng Tlali

Workshop Supervisor, Riverside Structural Steel (Pty) Ltd

016 555 0395

Welder CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Red Seal welder and coded pipe welder with eight years in structural steel fabrication and petrochemical shutdowns in the Vaal and Sasolburg. Holds current welder qualifications to ISO 9606-1 and ASME IX for TIG root with stick fill and cap on carbon steel pipe in the 6G position, and TIG on stainless steel. Works to the WPS on every joint, reads isometric drawings and weld symbols, and kept an X-ray repair rate below 2% across the last four shutdowns. Holds hot work, confined space and working at heights training.

Skills to list on your Welder CV

SMAW (stick or arc welding) with low-hydrogen E7018 electrodes on carbon steel plate and pipe
GTAW (TIG) root runs on carbon steel and stainless steel pipe, including argon back purging
GMAW (MIG/MAG) and FCAW (flux-cored) welding on structural steel and plate
Welding plate in the 1G to 4G positions and pipe in the 5G and 6G positions
Working to a WPS (welding procedure specification), including preheat, interpass temperature and amps
Reading shop drawings, isometric pipe drawings and weld symbols
Fitting up joints with the correct root gap, bevel and alignment before welding
Visual checks of your own welds for undercut, porosity, lack of fusion and wrong size
Grinding out and repairing welds rejected by X-ray, ultrasonic or dye penetrant testing
Cutting and bevelling with oxy-acetylene, plasma and a pipe bevelling machine
Storing and baking electrodes in rod ovens to keep them dry
Working under hot work permits with fire watch, gas testing and fire blankets
Working at heights and in confined spaces such as vessels and tanks

Duties written as strong bullet points

Welded carbon steel process piping from 2 to 24 inches on four Sasol and Natref shutdowns, with a radiographic (X-ray) repair rate below 2%
Put in TIG root runs and stick fill and cap passes on 6G pipe joints to the WPS, recording preheat and interpass temperatures on the weld map
Welded stainless steel pipe with TIG and argon back purging, keeping the root free of oxidation, for a chemical plant tie-in
Read isometric drawings and weld symbols to fit up and weld about 25 pipe spools a week in the workshop
Welded beams, columns, base plates and stair stringers with MIG/MAG and flux-cored wire to AWS D1.1 for a structural steel contractor
Ground out and re-welded joints rejected by X-ray or ultrasonic testing, so every repair passed on the second shot
Opened a hot work permit with the area owner before each shift, set up fire blankets and a fire watch, and closed the permit at the end of the job
Worked 12-hour day and night shifts inside vessels and on pipe racks at height, with no lost-time injuries

Tips for a stronger Welder CV

Write each qualification exactly

For every coded test, write the standard (ISO 9606-1, ASME IX or AWS D1.1), the process, the material, plate or pipe, the position and the date. For example, "ASME IX, GTAW root and SMAW fill and cap, carbon steel pipe, 6G, 2026". Contractors match these details to the WPS for the job, so "coded welder" on its own tells them very little.

Keep your continuity up to date

A welder qualification is only valid while you keep welding with that process. Under ASME IX and ISO 9606-1 it usually lapses if you go more than six months without using the process, and ISO 9606-1 also needs your employer or the inspector to confirm it every six months. Say on your CV that your continuity record is signed up to date.

Explain positions in both systems

Many South African sites use the ISO names. PA is flat (1G), PC horizontal (2G), PF vertical up (3G), PE overhead (4G) and H-L045 is fixed pipe at 45 degrees (6G). Writing "6G (H-L045)" shows you understand both and saves the reader time.

Give your X-ray results and plants

Your repair rate on X-ray or ultrasonic testing is the best proof of quality. Add the plants and shutdowns you have worked on, such as Sasol Secunda or Sasolburg, Natref, Eskom stations or mines, because each site has its own safety induction and contractors prefer welders who already know the rules.

Questions people ask

How do I become a qualified welder in South Africa?

The usual route is an apprenticeship or learnership with a registered employer, with N2 subjects from a TVET college, ending in the welder trade test at an accredited trade test centre. The Occupational Certificate Welder is an NQF level 4 trade qualification that ends in this trade test under section 26D of the Skills Development Act. If you have years of welding experience but no formal training, you can apply for ARPL (artisan recognition of prior learning) at a trade test centre.

What is a coded welder?

A coded welder has passed a welder qualification test to a recognised standard, such as ISO 9606-1, ASME IX (used for boilers and pressure vessels) or AWS D1.1 (used for structural steel). You weld a test piece in a set position to a WPS, and it is checked visually and by X-ray or bend tests. Pressure pipework at plants such as Sasol may only be welded by welders qualified for that procedure.

Is the trade test the same as a coded welder test?

No. The trade test makes you a qualified artisan and you pass it once, for life. A coded test qualifies you for a specific process, material and position under one standard, and it must be kept valid by regular welding. Most good jobs ask for both.

What courses does SAIW offer welders?

The Southern African Institute of Welding runs practical welding training and welder qualification testing to ISO 9606, ASME IX and AWS D1.1, and the IIW International Welder programme at fillet, plate and pipe levels. Experienced welders can move on to the SAIW Welding and Fabrication Inspector courses, which cover welding symbols, visual inspection, welder qualification and NDT reports.

What is a WPS and why does it matter on my CV?

A WPS (welding procedure specification) is the written recipe for a weld, giving the process, electrode or wire, amps, voltage, preheat, gas and joint preparation. Inspectors check that welders follow it on every joint. Saying that you work to a WPS and record preheat and interpass temperatures tells a contractor you are ready for pressure and petrochemical work.