Updated 2026-11-16
Your CV is the short record an employer uses to understand your work, education, skills and qualifications, and to decide who to interview. Keep it focused on the specific vacancy, accurate and easy to check. South African Government CV guidance says to adapt your CV to each job and proofread it before sending.
Never pay anyone for a job or for access to a genuine public recruitment process.
Use clear headings and put the information most relevant to the advertised role where it is easy to find. The government CV guidance says a CV should be short and to the point. It lists the items below as information to include.
| CV section | What to put in it |
|---|---|
| Personal and contact information | Your surname and first names, address and contact numbers. The government guidance also lists date and country of birth, identity number, gender, marital status, health and driver's licence. |
| Education | Your educational history and qualifications. |
| Languages and computer skills | Languages you can speak and write, with your level of ability, plus computer skills. |
| Current role | Your current position and employer, if you are employed. |
| Employment history | Relevant jobs, including part-time work and volunteer work. |
| Skills, awards and leadership | Relevant basic skills and characteristics, awards and leadership positions. |
| References | Credible people who can give truthful information about your work ethic and credibility. Check that their contact details are current and that they are still available before an interview. |
For each vacancy, read the duties and requirements first. Then make the matching experience, qualification, skills and licences clear in your CV. Do not claim a qualification, skill, licence or experience that you cannot verify. The official guidance specifically says to change the CV for the job and highlight the skills and experience that matter for that application.
Send a cover letter with the CV where the employer asks for one or where you send an application by email. The government guidance recommends a three to four paragraph letter that highlights why you suit the job. Check the advert for its application method and document instructions before you send anything.
A CV alone is normally not the public-service application. The Public Service Vacancy Circular 38 of 2026, issued on 23 October 2026, directs candidates to use the Z83 form that has applied since 1 January 2021. It requires full particulars of training, qualifications, competencies, knowledge and experience, either on a separate sheet where needed or in a CV. Put the vacancy reference number in your application and send it to the department advertising the post by its closing date.
| At application stage | If you are shortlisted |
|---|---|
| Complete the current Z83 fully, accurately and legibly. Include a detailed CV. The Z83 says information in the form and attachments must be complete and correct. | Provide the certified information and documents the department requests. The Z83 says candidates selected for interviews will be asked for additional certified information needed for final selection. |
| Follow the individual advert's delivery route, such as the specified email, online system, post or hand delivery. Do not assume one department's route applies to another. | Meet the department's deadline. DPSA's 7 May 2022 notice says shortlisted candidates should submit certified qualifications and other relevant documents to HR on or before the interview day. |
For national and provincial government recruitment, do not automatically attach certified copies at the first application stage. DPSA states that applicants submit a completed Z83 and detailed CV, while certified copies of qualifications and other relevant documents are requested only from shortlisted applicants. A current GCIS vacancies page gives the same instruction: a completed, signed Z83 and detailed CV at application, then certified documents from shortlisted candidates after the department contacts them.
Always follow the individual advert if it asks for something different. For example, an employer may specify documents to bring when shortlisted, require proof linked to the post, or set its own submission channel. A foreign qualification may need a SAQA evaluation: GCIS and the Department of Justice vacancies page both state this for foreign qualifications.
Private employers do not use the public-service Z83 process unless their own advert says so. Start with the employer's advert or application portal. It tells you what documents and fields that employer wants, and it is the instruction to follow.
Use the same core CV: relevant work history, education, skills, contact details and references. Target it to the role, proofread it, and make every statement truthful. These are practical ways to meet the purpose of a CV described by government guidance: helping an employer assess what you can do and your experience.
Do not assume a private employer wants certified copies with your first application. Send only the documents the advert or portal requests. If an employer later requests identity, qualification, licence or other records, check the request carefully and provide the documents through its official recruitment channel.
Usually not at the initial application stage. DPSA's 7 May 2022 notice says government applicants submit a completed Z83 and detailed CV, and only shortlisted candidates should be asked for certified qualifications and other relevant documents. Check the individual advert because its instructions control your application.
No. The Z83 is the prescribed application form for advertised government posts. The current public-service circular says to submit a Z83 with full details of training, qualifications, competencies, knowledge and experience, on a separate sheet if necessary or in a CV. Submit both when the advert requires both.
Yes for a public-service post. Circular 38 of 2026 says applicants must use the Z83 effective from 1 January 2021. GCIS says use of the old form can lead to disqualification.
Only if the employer's advert or official application system asks for them. Private employers set their own application requirements. Keep your CV targeted and follow the vacancy instructions.
Check the advert. GCIS and the Department of Justice state that foreign qualifications must be accompanied by a SAQA evaluation certificate or report in their government recruitment processes.