Applying for a government job: your CV and the Z83

Government departments are among the biggest employers in South Africa, and their posts attract thousands of applications. Many of those are thrown out before anyone reads them, not because the person could not do the job, but because the application broke a rule. This guide shows you how to apply correctly, so your CV actually gets read.

It covers national and provincial public service departments, such as Health, Education, Home Affairs, SAPS civilian posts and Correctional Services. Municipalities and state-owned companies, such as Eskom or Transnet, have their own application processes; follow their adverts.

Where government jobs are advertised

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) publishes the Public Service Vacancy Circular every week, except in December, on dpsa.gov.za. It collects the adverts from national and provincial departments. Departments also post vacancies on their own websites, and some use online e-recruitment systems.

Each advert gives the post, the department, the requirements, a reference number, the closing date and how to apply. Read the notes at the top of each department's section too: they often hold the rules that disqualify people.

What you send: the Z83 and a detailed CV

For most public service posts, you send two things:

1. The Z83 form (Application for Employment), the 2021 version. The old form was withdrawn at the end of 2020, and applications on it are disqualified. Download the current form from dpsa.gov.za or gov.za.
2. A detailed CV, sometimes called a "comprehensive" CV.

That is usually all. Departments now ask only shortlisted candidates for certified copies of qualifications, ID and other documents, normally on or before the interview day. Do not attach copies unless the advert asks for them; some departments say they will disqualify applications that include extra documents.

Filling in the Z83 without being disqualified

The Z83 is two pages. Departments are strict about it, so:

• Fill in parts A, B, C and D completely. These are the post details (including the reference number), your personal information, your contact details and your language proficiency. Do not leave a box blank; write "N/A" if a question does not apply to you.
• Parts E, F and G (qualifications, work experience and references) have very little space. Most departments accept "refer to CV" here, as long as your CV has the information. Check the advert, because a few want them filled in.
• Answer the question about re-appointment in part F, even if you write "refer to CV" for the rest of that part. If you have never worked in the public service, write "N/A".
• Initial both pages, then sign and date the declaration. An unsigned form can be disqualified. Some departments accept a typed or digital signature; others want it signed by hand and scanned. Follow the advert.
• Use one Z83 per post. If you apply for three posts, send three separate applications, each with its own Z83 showing that post's reference number.

The Z83 asks for your ID number, race, gender and disability status. That is correct for this form: departments need it for employment equity reporting under the law. It does not mean you should put those details on your CV.

What a detailed government CV must include

A detailed CV for the public service follows the same South African CV format as any other, with more detail in a few places.

Every job, with full dates

List every job, most recent first, with:

• Job title and the employer's full name
• Start and end month and year
• Your main duties, written as bullet points
• Whether it was permanent, contract or an internship

Selection panels check your experience against the advert's requirement, for example "three years' experience in an administrative environment". Make it easy for them: if the advert asks for three years of something, your dates must show three years of it.

Duties that match the advert

Public service adverts list the duties of the post. Use the same words in your CV wherever they are true for you. If the advert says "Render administrative support to the component", and you did that, write "Rendered administrative support to the finance component" rather than "helped in the office".

All qualifications, highest first

Give each qualification's full name, the institution, the year you finished, and the NQF level for post-school qualifications. Include your National Senior Certificate. If you studied outside South Africa, note that foreign qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA; mention it if you have done so.

Registrations and licences

Many posts require registration with a professional body, such as SANC for nurses, HPCSA for health professionals or SACE for teachers, or a valid driver's licence. Give your registration number and the year you registered.

References with contact numbers

Give three references with their name, job title, relationship to you (for example "my supervisor at Ditsong Museum") and a phone number that works during office hours. Departments do phone them.

Sending your application

• Use exactly the method in the advert: email, online portal or hand delivery. Applications sent to the wrong address are not considered.
• By email, send one PDF with your Z83 first and your CV after it, unless the advert says otherwise. Do not send photos of pages; many departments reject them.
• Put the post title and reference number in the email subject line.
• Apply early. Late applications are never accepted, and email servers get slow just before a closing date.
• Keep a copy of every application, with the reference number and closing date.

Most adverts say that if you have not heard from the department within three months of the closing date, you should treat your application as unsuccessful.

Tests and senior management posts

Shortlisted candidates for some posts write a competency or technical test. For senior management (SMS) posts, there are extra requirements, such as a pre-entry certificate from the National School of Government. The advert always says what applies.

Make the CV part easy

Our builder produces a clean, single-column CV in the format government panels expect, with every job, date and duty laid out clearly. Use the admin clerk, nurse or data capturer examples as a starting point, then add the full detail for every job. Save it as a PDF, put it after your signed Z83, and send them together.