Every application for a post in the South African public service starts with the same document: the Z83, the Application for Employment form. Departments receive thousands of applications for popular posts, and the first sift is often purely administrative. An unsigned form, an old version of the form, or a blank section can be enough for your application to be set aside before anyone reads your CV.
This guide walks through the form the way a selection panel looks at it, so that yours makes it past the first sift.
Use the current version of the form
A new Z83 came into use on 1 January 2021. Adverts state that applications on the old form will not be accepted, and many applicants still lose out because they reused a form they downloaded years ago. The current form is longer and is split into clearly labelled parts. If the copy you have does not ask about your availability, your criminal record and conflicts of interest on separate lines, it is probably the old one.
You can download a blank copy from the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) or from the advert itself, or fill one in online with our free Z83 tool.
Part A: the post you are applying for
This part identifies the advert. Copy the details exactly as they appear in the circular or advert:
- Position applied for — the full post title, not a shortened version.
- Reference number — the single most important field. Departments sort applications by reference number. A missing or wrong reference can send your application to the wrong pile.
- Department and, where asked, the component or office.
Because Part A changes for every post, it is the only part that should differ between your applications. A good habit is to keep a completed form with Part A blank and fill it in fresh for each advert.
Personal details
Write your names exactly as they appear on your ID document. Answer every question with a clear Yes or No, including the ones that do not seem to apply to you — an empty box reads as an incomplete form. The form asks, among other things:
- whether you are a South African citizen, and if not, whether you hold a valid work permit;
- whether you have been convicted of a criminal offence or dismissed for misconduct, and whether any case is pending;
- whether you have resigned from a recent post while disciplinary proceedings were pending;
- whether you are conducting business with the state or are a director of a company that does, and if so whether you will give it up if appointed.
Answer honestly. Departments run background checks on shortlisted candidates (see our guide to vetting and background checks), and a false declaration is far more serious than the thing you were trying to hide.
Contact details
Give a cellphone number you will answer and an email address you check every day. Shortlisting calls are often made at short notice, and some departments only try once or twice. If your number changes during the recruitment period, there is no way for the department to find you.
Qualifications
List your highest school qualification and every post-school qualification, with the institution and the year obtained. If the post requires registration with a professional body (for example as a nurse, social worker or engineer), give your registration number and its status. Make sure what you write here matches your certificates: qualifications are verified for shortlisted candidates.
Not sure where your qualification sits? Our guide to NQF levels explains the levels adverts refer to.
Work experience
List your recent employment: employer, post title, dates and reason for leaving. You may attach a CV, and the form allows you to refer to it, but the safest approach is still to complete the work experience section rather than writing "see CV" across it — some panels treat that as an incomplete form.
Make the experience easy to match against the advert. If the advert asks for "three years' experience in records management", your dates and post titles should show that at a glance.
The declaration and signature
Sign and date the declaration. An unsigned Z83 is one of the most common reasons applications are rejected. If you apply by email or online, a scanned or digitally inserted signature is generally accepted, but check the advert. Date the form on or before the closing date.
What to attach
Read the advert carefully, because instructions vary. Many departments now ask applicants to submit only the Z83 and a detailed CV, and request certified copies of qualifications and ID only from shortlisted candidates. Others still want certified copies with the application. When an advert asks for certified copies, make sure the certification is recent and legible.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the pre-2021 form.
- Leaving the reference number blank, or using the reference of a different post.
- Not signing the declaration.
- Leaving Yes/No questions empty.
- Sending one application for several posts — each post needs its own Z83 and, usually, its own email or envelope.
- Submitting after the closing date. Late applications are not considered.
A quick checklist before you submit
- Current Z83, every section completed.
- Post title and reference number copied exactly from the advert.
- Signed and dated.
- CV attached, with experience that clearly matches the requirements.
- Attachments exactly as the advert asks — no more, no less.
- Sent to the address or portal named in the advert, before the closing date.
Keep a copy of every application you send, along with the advert. When a shortlisting call comes weeks later, you will want to know exactly what you applied for. Our guide to tracking applications shows a simple way to do this.