How to fill in the Z83 form

Every application for a South African public service post needs a Z83, the government's standard application form. Departments receive thousands of applications for each post, and the first sift is simple: an incomplete, unsigned or outdated Z83 goes in the reject pile before anyone reads your CV. This guide takes you through the form section by section.

Use the new Z83, not the old one

The current Z83 has been in use since 1 January 2021 (it says "Effective 01 January 2021" at the bottom of each page). Applications on the older form are rejected. Download the current form from the department's advert or the DPSA website, and use a fresh copy for every post. The form itself says that all its sections are compulsory.

Before you start

• Have the advert open. You need the exact post title, the department and the reference number.
• Have your ID number, your qualifications (with the institution and year) and your work history with dates.
• Read the advert's own instructions to the end. They say where to send the application, by when, and which documents to include.

A. The advertised post

The post title exactly as advertised, the department, and the reference number as stated in the advert, plus when you could start (or your notice period). One Z83 is for one post: if you apply for three posts, send three forms, each with its own reference number. A missing or wrong reference number is one of the most common reasons applications go astray.

B. Personal information

Your surname and full names, date of birth and ID number (or passport number if you aren't South African), exactly as they appear on your ID. It also asks for race, gender and disability, which departments need for the Employment Equity Act, and about citizenship and work permits.

Then come the yes/no questions: criminal convictions (including admissions of guilt) and pending criminal cases, dismissal from the public service for misconduct, pending disciplinary cases, resigning while a disciplinary process was pending, leaving the public service on condition you can't be re-employed, and doing business with the state. Answer every one, with details where it asks. A blank makes the form incomplete, and false information can disqualify you or lead to disciplinary action after you're appointed.

Part B ends with your total years of experience in the private and public sectors, and your professional registration (date and number) if your occupation requires one.

C. Contact details

Your preferred language for correspondence, how you want to be contacted (email, phone, post or fax) and the details. Use a number and inbox you check daily: shortlisted candidates are often given only a few days' notice of an interview.

D. Language proficiency

The South African official languages you know, each rated good, fair or poor for speaking and for reading and writing.

E. Formal qualifications

From highest to lowest: the institution, the qualification and the year you obtained it, plus anything you are studying now.

F. Work experience

Each employer (including your current one), the post you held, the month and year you started and left, and why you left. The form says to attach a detailed CV as well, so fill in this section and send the CV. It also asks whether any condition prevents your re-appointment if you worked in the public service before.

G. References, then the declaration

Up to three references with their relationship to you and an office-hours phone number. Then sign and date the declaration, and initial each page. The form warns that failing to sign it may disqualify your application. If you apply by email, follow the advert on signatures: some accept an electronic one, others want a scanned handwritten one.

What to send with it

The Z83 and a detailed CV. Many adverts now ask for certified copies of your ID and qualifications only from shortlisted candidates; others want them with the application. Follow the advert. The form notes that departments must accept certifications up to 6 months old unless the advert allows longer.

The mistakes that get applications rejected

• Using the old Z83 form.
• Leaving the form unsigned or pages uninitialled.
• A missing or wrong reference number, or one form for several posts.
• Blank questions in Part B.
• No CV attached.
• Applying after the closing date. Late applications aren't considered.
• Sending it to the wrong address. Each advert names its own email or postal address.

Let Honde fill it in for you

Honde finds government posts from the DPSA circular and departments' own sites, and fills in a Z83 for each one you apply for, from your CV and the answers you save once. Your ID number and declarations are stored encrypted and never sent to the AI. Create a free account, or browse open vacancies first.

Government posts are listed with the other vacancies in each field, for example admin, health and education jobs, and by province, such as Gauteng and Limpopo. Before you apply, make sure your CV is clear and complete, read how government recruitment works, and know how to spot a fake government job.