“I Did Not Know”: Western Cape Man Shares How To Get Government Jobs by Filling Out the Z83 Form

• A Western Cape government worker with 15 years of experience shared a step-by-step guide on how to fill in a Z83 form
• He explained that the process can take 8 to 12 months from application to appointment, with around 2,000 people applying
• South Africans related to the struggle, with some saying they filled out 13 forms and never heard back

Landing a government job in South Africa requires patience and knowing how to fill in the right forms. Western Cape content creator @aslamlevy, who works in government and has 15 years of experience hiring people, broke down exactly how to complete a Z83 form on 6 February 2026.

The Z83 form is the first document you need to complete when applying for a government job. He warned people, saying, you will never have to pay for a government job application.

He explained that the process easily takes 8 to 12 months. A hiring manager creates the job specification, gets it approved, sends it to HR, and then advertises the job. Usually, around 2,000 people apply for each position. HR sorts through all the applications, filtering out people who don't have the correct qualifications or documents. The long list gets narrowed down to about 300 people, then to a shortlist of five to six candidates who get interviewed.

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How to fill in a Z83 form correctly?

The Z83 form has several sections that need to be completed accurately. Section A requires the position name, department name and post reference number from the circulars. Section B covers personal information, including your full name, ID number, and employment history.

Section C is for contact details, while Section D asks about language proficiency. Section E covers formal qualifications (start with your most recent), Section F is work experience, and the final section requires three professional references.

He had more to share on references and how to intial the page in the TikTok clip below:

He also shared that there are government jobs you can apply for without a matric certificate. For those with matric, options include admin clerk, secretary, and internship programmes like the Western Cape Government Internship programme that provides a stipend and skills development for a year. He discussed how to find these jobs through circulars on another TikTok video.

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Where to find government job circulars

Aslam went on to share that every Friday, the DPSA website publishes a circular containing most government jobs advertised for that week. He explained that you can also get the circulars sent to your WhatsApp every Friday. He warned job seekers to watch out for fake adverts trying to scam desperate job seekers.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi curious about the Z83 form

Many South Africans shared their experiences with the form and asked TikToker @aslamlevy for more info:

@marvinsiljeur1 said:

"I waited six months, forgot about it, then just got a phone call and email out of the blue with an appointment letter."

@LESEGO R. joked:

"Filling that form is a job on its own."

@RudzaniSamisi-R questioned:

"Mostly, if not all from the circulars, they say only CV and Z83, I'm confused on whether to attach other supporting docs or not."

@Tando Mali💎 admitted:

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"I did not know I had to state the year or months on the private/public section. I always write a number😭😭"

@dikeledimoshobane asked:

"Where it says initial, why did he/she write the first letter of the name and the first letter of the surname?"

More on job hunting in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on a Johannesburg fresh graduate who received two internship rejections less than 12 hours after applying.
• South Africa's most dangerous jobs were revealed, with the job recording 24,568 claims in 2024.
• An Afrikaner refugee refuted alleged struggles in America, highlighting job availability and community support.

Source: Briefly News