Updated 2026-11-14
For South African public service vacancies, use the Z83 Application for Employment form effective 1 January 2021. The DPSA's current 2026 vacancy circular still directs applicants to use this version. Complete it for the specific advertised post, read that advert's submission instructions, and send it to the advertising department by its closing date.
Public-service recruitment is free. Never pay a person or company to submit a Z83 or to obtain a job.
The form is used to help a government department select candidates for an advertised post. Complete it fully, accurately and legibly. Your personal details must match your ID or passport.
Download the official DPSA Z83 form. It is the two-page form marked effective 01 January 2021. Do not use an older version. A current 2026 Department of Basic Education notice says use of an old Z83 results in disqualification.
Start with the job advert, not the form. Copy the post title, department and reference number exactly as advertised. The public service vacancy circular says applications must give the vacancy reference number and must reach the relevant advertising department by the applicable closing date. Follow that specific advert for the delivery method, address or email address, deadline and supporting documents.
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| One application per vacancy | Complete a separate Z83 for each post you apply for, with that post's own reference number. |
| CV | Attach a detailed CV. The Z83 itself says to attach a detailed CV in section F, and the 2026 public service circular allows training, qualifications, competencies, knowledge and experience on a separate sheet if necessary or in a CV. |
| Supporting documents | Do not assume the same rule applies to every advert. For example, current Department of Justice notices request a completed signed Z83 and detailed CV at application stage, then request specified certified documents from shortlisted candidates. Follow the advert you are applying to. |
| Foreign qualifications | Check the advert. The current Justice notice states that a SAQA evaluation report must accompany foreign qualifications. |
| Signature and initials | Initial both pages where the form provides for initials. Sign and date the declaration on page 2. |
The official form says departments must accept certified documents accompanying an application where the certification is up to six months old, unless the advert allows a longer period. This does not remove the need to follow an advert that asks shortlisted candidates to bring documents at a later stage.
| Z83 section | What the current form asks for |
|---|---|
| A. The advertised post | The position as advertised, department where it was advertised, reference number from the advert, and when you can start or the notice you must serve. |
| B. Personal information | Surname and full names, date of birth, ID number or passport number for a non-South African, race, gender, disability, citizenship, nationality and work-permit information where applicable. It also asks about criminal convictions or admissions of guilt, pending criminal cases, public-service misconduct dismissal, pending disciplinary cases, resigning while a disciplinary process was pending, certain public-service discharge or retirement, state-business interests, experience in the private and public sectors, and professional registration where required. Give details wherever the form asks for them. |
| C. Contact details and medium of communication | Your preferred correspondence language, chosen contact method - post, email, fax or telephone - and the contact details for that method. Use contact details you can access. |
| D. South African official language proficiency | List the relevant official languages and state good, fair or poor for speaking and for writing or reading. |
| E. Formal qualification | List qualifications from highest to lowest, giving the school or technical college, qualification and year obtained. State any current study with the institution and qualification. |
| F. Work experience | Attach a detailed CV. On the form, give employer, post held, from and to month and year, and reason for leaving. Answer the re-appointment question if you were previously employed in the Public Service and give the requested department and condition details if applicable. |
| G. References | Give each reference's name, relationship to you and office-hours telephone number. |
| Declaration | Confirm that the information and attachments are complete and correct, then sign and date the form. |
Answer every question honestly. The declaration warns that false information can disqualify your application or lead to disciplinary action if you are appointed. The form also says criminal records are considered against the nature of the job functions under the department's internal information-security and disciplinary code. A disclosure is not a reason to alter or omit an answer.
If the space is too small, the form permits additional information on a separate page. Make that page easy to match to your application by identifying the vacancy and the Z83 section it continues. Keep the information consistent with your CV and the advert.
A department's advert sets its own application instructions, so there is no substitute for checking the notice for the post. These are recurring compliance failures stated in current official notices:
Before sending, compare section A against the advert, read through every Yes or No question in section B, check your contact details, make sure qualifications and dates match your CV, complete section F, initial both pages, and sign and date the declaration.
Yes. The official form is marked effective 01 January 2021, and Public Service Vacancy Circular 38 of 2026 instructs prospective applicants to use the new Z83 effective from that date.
Check the vacancy advert. Requirements differ by department and post. The current Department of Justice vacancy page asks for a completed signed new Z83 and detailed CV at application stage, with specified certified documents requested from shortlisted candidates. Follow the notice for the vacancy you want.
Yes. Section F of the official Z83 says to attach a detailed CV. The 2026 public service vacancy circular also permits full particulars of training, qualifications, competencies, knowledge and experience on a separate sheet if necessary or in a CV.
Use a separate Z83 for each post so that the title, department and reference number in section A match that particular advert. Current 2026 Department of Agriculture instructions specifically say to submit separate applications when applying for multiple posts.
Do not conceal it. Correct the form before submission and give details where requested. The declaration states that false information can disqualify an application or lead to disciplinary action after appointment. The form requires answers about convictions, pending criminal cases and specified disciplinary history.