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Teacher CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Most teachers in South Africa are employed by the nine provincial education departments, which advertise permanent and temporary posts at public schools in vacancy circulars (also called vacancy bulletins) during the year. School governing bodies (SGBs) also hire teachers themselves into SGB posts paid from school funds, and independent schools such as Curro, ADvTECH schools and church schools hire all year. Every teacher, in a public or an independent school, must be registered with SACE (the South African Council for Educators) to teach. A principal or interview panel checks three things first: your SACE registration, a recognised teaching qualification (a four-year Bachelor of Education, or a degree plus a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education, called a PGCE), and whether your phase and subjects match the post. The phases are Foundation (Grade R to 3), Intermediate (Grade 4 to 6), Senior (Grade 7 to 9) and FET, Further Education and Training (Grade 10 to 12).

The example below is for a Mathematics and Physical Sciences teacher in East London who studied a BEd on a Funza Lushaka bursary, was placed in a junior secondary school by the Eastern Cape Department of Education and now teaches Grades 10 to 12. It shows how to write about teaching to CAPS (the national curriculum), school-based assessment (SBA) and moderation, SA-SAMS and results. If you have just qualified, put your SACE registration and qualification at the top, then list each teaching practice school with the grades and subjects you taught and any sport or club you helped with. Substitute, temporary and SGB posts all count as real teaching experience, so list each one with the school and dates.

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Teacher CV example

Asanda Mapukata

SACE-registered Mathematics and Physical Sciences teacher, Senior and FET Phase

073 555 0164 · asanda.mapukata@example.co.za · East London, Eastern Cape

Profile

SACE-registered Mathematics and Physical Sciences teacher with nearly six years' experience in Grades 7 to 12 in East London, now in a permanent post with the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Holds a BEd in Senior Phase and FET Teaching (NQF 7), funded by a Funza Lushaka bursary. Plans lessons from the CAPS annual teaching plans, sets and moderates SBA tasks, captures marks on SA-SAMS and runs Saturday classes for Grade 12. Helped lift the school's Grade 12 Mathematics pass rate from 54% to 71% in three years. Looking for a senior teacher or Maths and Science departmental head post.

Work experience

Mathematics and Physical Sciences Teacher (Grades 10 to 12)

Masizakhe Secondary School (Eastern Cape Department of Education), Mdantsane | Jan 2024 – Present

Teach Mathematics to three Grade 10 to 12 classes and Physical Sciences to two Grade 11 classes, about 210 learners a week
Set SBA tasks with memos and rubrics approved by the departmental head
Prepare Grade 12 SBA files for district and provincial moderation, with no tasks sent back in 2025
Capture marks, attendance and term reports on SA-SAMS every term
Run Saturday classes and a winter school for 60 Grade 12 learners
Run the prescribed Physical Sciences experiments for 90 Grade 11 learners

Mathematics and Natural Sciences Teacher (Grades 7 to 9)

Nqonqweni Junior Secondary School (Eastern Cape Department of Education), East London | Jan 2021 – Dec 2023

Taught Mathematics and Natural Sciences to five Senior Phase classes of 40 to 48 learners, placed through the Funza Lushaka bursary programme
Set and marked common tests and kept learner mark sheets for SBA
Referred learners with barriers to learning to the school-based support team using SIAS
Coached the under-16 soccer team and started a science club with 25 members

Student Teacher (Teaching Practice)

Masizakhe Secondary School, Mdantsane | Jul 2019 – Sep 2019

Taught Grade 9 Mathematics and Grade 10 Physical Sciences lessons under a mentor teacher
Planned lessons from the CAPS annual teaching plan and marked class work with the teacher's memo

Education

Bachelor of Education, Senior Phase and FET Teaching (Mathematics and Physical Sciences), Funza Lushaka bursary

Walter Sisulu University, 2020, NQF level 7

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Mzomhle High School, 2016, NQF level 4

Subjects: isiXhosa Home Language, English First Additional Language, Mathematics (82%), Physical Sciences (78%), Life Sciences, Geography, Life Orientation

Skills

CAPS lesson planning
FET Mathematics and Physical Sciences
SBA tasks and moderation
SA-SAMS mark capturing
Classroom management in large classes
Grade 12 exam preparation
Learner support through SIAS
GeoGebra and Siyavula resources

Certificates

SACE registration, Educator, South African Council for Educators (SACE), 2021
CAPS Physical Sciences practical work training, Eastern Cape Department of Education, 2024
SA-SAMS user training, Eastern Cape Department of Education, 2022
First Aid Level 1, St John South Africa, 2024

Achievements

Grade 12 Mathematics pass rate up from 54% in 2023 to 71% in 2025
Appointed as an NSC Grade 12 Mathematics marker in 2024 and 2025
Two learners won bronze medals at the Eskom Expo regional science fair in 2025

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Own transport:: Yes
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: isiXhosa (Home language), English (Fluent), Afrikaans (Basic)
Notice period:: Three months, or from the start of a new term
Availability:: Available for afternoon, Saturday and holiday classes

References

Mr Vuyani Ntshinga

Departmental Head, Mathematics and Science, Masizakhe Secondary School

043 555 0148

Mrs Nomakhaya Dyantyi

Principal, Nqonqweni Junior Secondary School

043 555 0193

Teacher CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

SACE-registered Mathematics and Physical Sciences teacher with nearly six years' experience in Grades 7 to 12 in East London, now in a permanent post with the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Holds a BEd in Senior Phase and FET Teaching (NQF 7), funded by a Funza Lushaka bursary. Plans lessons from the CAPS annual teaching plans, sets and moderates SBA tasks, captures marks on SA-SAMS and runs Saturday classes for Grade 12. Helped lift the school's Grade 12 Mathematics pass rate from 54% to 71% in three years. Looking for a senior teacher or Maths and Science departmental head post.

Skills to list on your Teacher CV

Lesson planning from the CAPS annual teaching plans (ATPs) for each grade and term
Teaching Mathematics and Physical Sciences in the Senior and FET phases (Grades 7 to 12)
Setting SBA tasks, tests and memos that follow the CAPS assessment programme
Preparing and checking SBA files and learner portfolios for school, district and provincial moderation
Running the prescribed Physical Sciences experiments safely in a shared laboratory
Capturing marks, attendance and term reports on SA-SAMS
Classroom management in classes of 40 or more learners
Supporting learners with barriers to learning through SIAS (screening, identification, assessment and support)
Analysing results by topic and planning extra lessons for learners at risk of failing
Grade 12 exam preparation with past papers, Saturday classes and winter school
Using a data projector, GeoGebra and free Siyavula textbooks in lessons
Meeting parents at report meetings and keeping them informed
Coaching sport and running science clubs and the Eskom Expo entries
Following the SACE Code of Professional Ethics and child protection reporting duties

Duties written as strong bullet points

Taught Mathematics to three Grade 10 to 12 classes and Physical Sciences to two Grade 11 classes, about 210 learners a week, following the CAPS annual teaching plans
Set term tests, assignments and investigations for SBA, with memos and rubrics approved by the departmental head before learners wrote them
Prepared Grade 12 SBA files and learner portfolios for district and provincial moderation, with no tasks sent back for correction in 2025
Captured marks, attendance and term reports on SA-SAMS before the deadline every term
Ran the prescribed Physical Sciences experiments for 90 Grade 11 learners, with a written practical report from every learner
Ran Saturday classes and a winter school for 60 Grade 12 learners, helping lift the Mathematics pass rate from 54% in 2023 to 71% in 2025
Analysed each term's results by topic and set up weekly support groups for the 25 learners most at risk of failing
Referred learners with barriers to learning to the school-based support team using the SIAS forms
Met parents at four report meetings a year and phoned them when a learner missed tasks or fell behind
Coached the under-16 soccer team and entered learners in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists every year

Tips for a stronger Teacher CV

Put your SACE registration under your headline

Write "SACE-registered" and the year you registered in your headline or right under your contact details, and list the SACE certificate in your certificates section. No public or independent school may employ an unregistered teacher. If your registration is still being processed, say so and give the date you applied.

Match your phase and subjects to the post

Each post in a department vacancy circular has a post number, a phase and the subjects needed, such as "Senior Phase, Mathematics and Natural Sciences". Use those exact words in your headline and summary, quote the post number, and send the Z83 form, your CV and certified copies the circular asks for. Panels shortlist on phase and subject match first.

Show results with real numbers

Pass rates, the number of learners you taught, improvements in a class average or learners who went on to study Maths or Science all show your impact. Use your school's own results and be honest, because a panel can check them with the principal or district office.

List the admin and assessment you handle

SBA, moderation, SA-SAMS, being a subject head, marking for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams or setting common tests for your cluster all show you can carry more than teaching. These matter when you apply for senior teacher or departmental head posts.

Add what you do outside the classroom

Schools look for teachers who will coach sport, run clubs, organise the choir or help with the school nutrition programme. One line on each, with the team or event, is enough. SGB and independent schools in particular ask about extra-curricular activities in interviews.

Questions people ask

Do I need SACE registration to teach in South Africa?

Yes. Every teacher in a public or independent school, including SGB and temporary posts, must be registered with SACE. Student teachers can register as students while they study. Once registered, teachers take part in SACE's professional development system (CPTD) and are expected to earn 150 professional development points in every three-year cycle, so list workshops and courses you have done.

Should I study a BEd or a PGCE to become a teacher?

A BEd is a four-year degree (NQF level 7) in which you choose a phase, such as Foundation Phase or Senior Phase and FET. A PGCE is a one-year qualification you study after a degree that includes at least two school subjects. The Department of Basic Education advises graduates to use the PGCE only for the Senior and FET phases, because Foundation and Intermediate Phase teaching needs the full four-year training.

What is an SGB post?

It is a teaching post paid by the school governing body from school fees or fundraising, not by the provincial department. SGB posts are often one-year contracts, and many teachers start in one before getting a department post. Write "(SGB post)" next to the job title on your CV so a panel knows how you were employed.

How do I show a Funza Lushaka bursary on my CV?

Funza Lushaka is the Department of Basic Education bursary for BEd students in priority subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Sciences and African languages. Bursars must teach at a public school for one year for every year they were funded, and provincial departments place them. Add "(Funza Lushaka bursary)" to your BEd in the education section. Note that recent application notes say the bursary does not fund the PGCE.

What are SBA and moderation, and why mention them?

SBA (school-based assessment) is the tests, assignments, practicals and projects learners do during the year that count towards their final mark. In Grade 12 SBA counts for 25% of the final mark in most subjects. Moderation is when the departmental head, district and province check that tasks and marking meet the standard. Showing you run SBA well tells a principal you can be trusted with Grade 12.