The new Z83 form: download and how to fill it in

What the Z83 is

The Z83 is a standard form used by every national and provincial department. It asks for the same facts about you regardless of the post, so that a selection panel can compare applicants on one footing: who you are, whether you may legally work in the public service, what you have studied, where you have worked, and a signed declaration that all of it is true.

The circular's own front matter is blunt about which version counts: "prospective applicants must please use the new Z83 which is effective as at 01 January 2021." Departments repeat it in their own words — several in the current circulars state that an application on the old form will not be considered. The old and new forms look similar at a glance; the new one has the sections lettered A to G and a declaration at the end. If yours does not, it is the wrong form.

Where to get the current version

Download it from the DPSA's own site — the printable PDF or the fillable PDF — or collect a printed copy from any public service department. It is free. This site does not host a copy, because the only version that can be trusted is the one government publishes.

A few departments now use an online recruitment system with the Z83 built in (see online applications below). Where an advert gives an e-recruitment link, that system's form is the Z83 and you complete it there.

Section by section

The instruction that appears, almost word for word, in dozens of adverts in the current circulars is this:

"All fields of Section A, B, C and D of the Z83 must be completed in full. Section E, F, G: due to the limited space on the Z83 it is acceptable for applicants to indicate 'refer to CV' or 'see attached'. However, the question related to conditions that prevent re-appointment under Part F must be answered, and the declaration signed."

In practice that means:

• Sections A to D — every field. These are your personal details, contact details, the post you are applying for (with its reference number), and the questions about citizenship, criminal record, disciplinary history and whether you have ever been dismissed from the public service. Leave nothing blank. Where something does not apply to you, write "N/A" or "None" rather than leaving the space empty — an empty field reads as an unanswered question.
• Sections E to G — "refer to CV" is allowed. Qualifications, work experience and references do not fit on the form for most people. Departments accept "refer to CV" here, provided the CV is attached and actually contains the detail. One exception, which departments single out: the question in Part F about conditions that prevent your re-appointment to the public service must be answered on the form itself.
• The declaration. Sign and date it. Several departments add that the form must be "signed, initialed and dated" — initial each page as well. An unsigned Z83 is treated as incomplete, and incomplete means disqualified.
• The reference number and post title exactly as printed in the advert. The circular's directions to candidates say applicants "must indicate the reference number of the vacancy in their applications". Every job page on this site shows the reference under Reference; where a post has none, quote the post number and the exact title instead.
• One form per post. If you apply for three posts, you send three applications. Departments state that a single application for several posts is not considered for any of them.

What to attach now, and what to keep for later

The current circulars are consistent: at application stage, most departments want only the completed Z83 and a detailed CV. Certified copies come later. In one department's words: "Only shortlisted candidates will be required to submit certified copies of qualifications and other related documents on or before the day of the interview."

Have these ready for when you are shortlisted, because the notice can be short:

• Certified copy of your ID document (or passport and permit, if you are not a citizen).
• Certified copies of every qualification the advert asks for — matric certificate included.
• A SAQA evaluation report for any qualification obtained outside South Africa. This takes weeks; if a foreign qualification is what qualifies you, start it before you apply.
• Service certificates or letters from previous employers where the advert asks for a set number of years' experience.
• Proof of professional registration (SANC, HPCSA, ECSA, SACSSP and so on) where the post requires it.
• For senior management posts, proof of the Nyukela pre-entry certificate from the National School of Government.

Read the specific advert, though. A minority of departments still ask for copies with the application, and the advert's own wording — shown verbatim on every job page here under The post as printed in the circular — is what counts.

Why applications get rejected

Departments say, in their NOTE blocks, what disqualifies an application before anyone reads the CV. The list below is drawn from those blocks in the current circulars.

• Using the pre-2021 form.
• Sections A–D not completed in full, or the form not signed, initialed and dated.
• The Part F re-appointment question left unanswered.
• No reference number, or the wrong one.
• Arriving after the closing date — or after the closing time, where one is stated. Many posts close at 16:00, and a few online systems close at 23:59; the job page shows the stated time.
• Emailing the wrong address. Some departments use a different address per post, and say applications sent to the wrong one are not considered.
• Attachments in the wrong format: zipped, image or JPEG files are commonly refused, and several departments require one combined PDF under 10 MB.
• One form for several posts.
• False or fraudulent qualifications. Departments state these are reported to the SAPS and a criminal case is opened — this is not an idle warning.

Online and emailed applications

More departments accept applications by email or through an e-recruitment portal, and some accept nothing else. The rules that recur in the current circulars:

• Put the post title and reference number in the subject line, and use the exact email address given for that post.
• Send the Z83 and CV as one combined PDF, and keep it under the stated size limit (10 MB is common).
• Departments say they are not responsible for server delays and that late applications caused by technical problems are not considered — so do not leave it to the last hour.
• On an e-recruitment portal, complete every section of the online Z83 and attach the CV; the same completeness rules apply.
• Most departments do not acknowledge receipt. Keep your own copy of what you sent, and the sent-mail record.

After you send it

Departments state that communication is limited to shortlisted candidates, and that if you have not heard from them within a set period after the closing date — three months is the figure most use — you should consider your application unsuccessful. Shortlisted candidates are told to expect personnel suitability checks: qualification verification, criminal and credit checks, reference checks, and for many posts security vetting. Senior posts add a technical exercise and, for a final few, psychometric assessment.

No government post charges an application fee. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, to be shortlisted or to "secure" a post is running a scam. See job scams in the application guide.

Where to go next

The full application guide · how salary levels work · posts closing this week · search all open posts.