Department of Home Affairs Cadet Learnership 2026: R4,500/Month, 50 Posts

The Department of Home Affairs has opened its 2026/27 Cadet Learnership Programme, offering 50 paid learnership posts to unemployed young South Africans across all nine provinces. If you have a Grade 12 or NQF Level 4 qualification and no job, this 12-month programme pays a stipend of R4,500 per month while you train towards a National Certificate in Immigration Services. Applications close on 18 September 2026 at 16h00, so you have days, not weeks, to get your Z83 and CV in.

About the Home Affairs Cadet Learnership Programme

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is the government department that issues identity documents, passports, birth certificates and visas, and manages immigration at every port of entry into South Africa. It runs hundreds of offices nationwide and touches the life of every citizen, which makes it one of the most visible departments in the public service.

The Cadet Learnership Programme is run in collaboration with the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA). It is a youth development initiative that supports the National Development Plan’s goal of formalised recruitment schemes that give unemployed youth skills, knowledge and workplace experience. The programme combines classroom theory with practical training in DHA offices and is built around the National Certificate: Immigration Services, which exposes learners to the core business of the department.

For young South Africans, this matters because it is a structured, paid, government-backed entry point into the public service. You leave with a recognised qualification, 12 months of real experience in a busy department, and a reference that carries weight when the DHA or any other department advertises entry-level posts.

RELATED: Department of Employment and Labour Security Officer Vacancies 2026, R201,093/Year

What You Will Learn

• Theoretical training towards the National Certificate: Immigration Services
• Practical, on-the-job experience in a Department of Home Affairs office
• How immigration services work, from front-office client service to document processing
• Public service systems, ethics and the Batho Pele principles
• Workplace skills such as record keeping, client interaction and teamwork
• A monthly stipend of R4,500 for the full 12-month contract

Who Can Apply

• South African citizens who are currently unemployed
• Young people who hold a Grade 12 (National Senior Certificate) or an NQF Level 4 equivalent qualification
• Applicants who have not previously participated in any Public Service Youth Development Programme
• Applicants who are not currently receiving any government financial assistance for a youth development programme
• Preference is given to youth who live close to the office where the post is based
• Applicants with foreign qualifications must submit a SAQA evaluation

Posts are available in Gauteng (5), Eastern Cape (6), North West, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Each centre has its own reference number in the format HRMC 58/26/xx, and you must quote the correct one for the office you are applying to.

Required Documents

• A fully completed new Z83 application form (the version effective from 1 January 2021, available at www.dpsa.gov.za)
• A comprehensive CV showing start and end dates, job titles, duties and exit reasons for any previous work, plus at least two contactable references
• The correct post number, job title and centre written clearly on the Z83
• Certified copy of your ID document (only required if you are shortlisted)
• Certified copy of your Grade 12 certificate (only required if you are shortlisted)
• SAQA evaluation of foreign qualifications, if applicable

ALSO SEE: Z83 Form 2026 PDF Download: The Current Editable Form and How to Fill It In

How to Apply

1. Download the official advert (HRMC 58 of 2026) from the Department of Home Affairs careers page and find the centre closest to you and its reference number.
2. Download and complete the new Z83 form from www.dpsa.gov.za. Fill in Sections A, B, C and D in full and sign it.
3. Prepare an updated CV with dates, duties and two contactable references.
4. Write the reference number, “Cadet Learnership Programme” and the centre name on your Z83.
5. Email your Z83 and CV to the provincial address in the advert (for example Cadetrecruitmentgp@dha.gov.za for Gauteng, Cadetrecruitmentec@dha.gov.za for Eastern Cape, and the matching address for your province).
6. Alternatively, post to Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001, or hand deliver to 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Pretoria, 0001.
7. Submit before 16h00 on 18 September 2026. Applications will not be acknowledged, so keep proof of submission.

Apply at Department of Home Affairs

Closing Date

The closing date for the Department of Home Affairs Cadet Learnership Programme 2026/27 is 18 September 2026 at 16h00. No late applications will be accepted.

Why It Matters

Youth unemployment in South Africa sits well above 40 percent for people aged 15 to 34, and the biggest barrier most matriculants face is that every job wants experience they have never been given a chance to earn. A government learnership breaks that cycle. It pays you to learn, it gives you a qualification registered on the National Qualifications Framework, and it puts 12 months of Department of Home Affairs experience on your CV.

The DHA is also a department that regularly advertises entry-level posts such as Immigration Officer, Administration Clerk and Mobile Officer. Former cadets who understand the department’s systems are well placed when those posts open. With 50 posts spread across every province and a requirement of nothing more than Grade 12, this is one of the most accessible paid opportunities on offer right now.

Frequently Asked Questions