There was nothing straight forward about applying for Owner Builder exemption from the NHBRC. In the end I did receive it without a hitch but if I had known then what I know now, the process might have gone differently. If you want to build your own house in South Africa and are actually capable of doing so (this is the key factor) you can request to be exempt from the obligatory quality control procedures governed by the National Home Builders Registration Council.

The below text is copied from another document found here.

How do I become an owner builder?
the nhbrc and you

I have decided to summarize again what the answer entails and document it. My disclaimer is that it is my interpretation and built on my experience as someone who had to go through the process, so pardon any bias - I take no responsibility or credit at all for anyconsequences of this writ.