SAPS LAUNCHES ITS E-RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR 5 500 POLICE TRAINEES, A FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR THE ORGANISATION
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched its much anticipated e-Recruitment drive on its official website for 5 500 aspiring police officers to join its ranks.
For the first time in the history of the existence of the organisation, the SAPS is utilising an Electronic Recruitment System, through which youth from all walks of life, can submit their applications to be considered for the entry level Police Trainee posts.
The shift to a digital platform is expected to reduce paperwork, curb corruption and nepotism, and prevent lost applications. It will also enhance fairness, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and improve the integrity and speed of the recruitment process.
The nationwide recruitment drive begins today, 30 June 2025, with online applications closing on 18 July 2025. It targets young men and women aged 18 to 35 to join as police trainees for the 2025/2026 financial year.
Qualifying young men and women without criminal records and/or pending criminal cases are encouraged to apply by visiting http://saps.gov.za/careers then select the e-Recruitment portal from the drop down menu.
It is worth mentioning that the SAPS will implement a targeted recruitment process to identify and consider applicants with specific skills and/or qualifications, i.e., Graduates in Law, Policing, Criminology, Law Enforcement, Forensic Investigation, and Information Technology, for placement in the specialised environments such as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Detective and Forensic Services as well as Crime Intelligence (CI).
To ensure that the SAPS enlist disciplined, energetic, intelligent, physically and mentally fit individuals, dedicated to serving their country through Policing, applicants will be subjected to a rigorous selection process, which entails: psychometric, integrity, physical fitness assessments and fingerprint/vetting screening as well as medical evaluations.
Successful recruits will undergo nine-month-long training at the SAPS training academies nationwide and receive a monthly stipend of R4 500.
In the last three years, the SAPS Project 10 000, an initiative led by President of RSA, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa to bolster crime prevention efforts, has led to the recruitment and training of 30 393 young people between the ages of 18 and 35 as fully-fledged police officers.
There are currently 5 500 young people in SAPS academies who are training to become fully-fledged police officers. Some will graduate in August 2025, while the rest will graduate in December 2025.
The application process is free of charge, and no position within the SAPS is for sale. Applications must be submitted exclusively through the official SAPS website portal.
To apply online, please visit the South African Police Service website on: http://saps.gov.za and click on the Careers link.
The step-by-step guide to apply for utilizing the SAPS electronic recruitment system are as follows:
✓ Register your account on the SAPS site;
✓ Enter your profile details through the Profile User page;
✓ Log into your account;
✓ On the home page, browse to the SAPS vacancy page link;
✓ Locate and select the job you want to apply for (i.e. TRAINEE2025/2026);
✓ Enter personal details through the multi steps application process and submit your application.