SAPS goes digital in hunt for 5,500 new cops – No bribes, no paper, just passion

SAPS

Pretoria – The South African Police Service (SAPS) has officially opened applications for 5,500 entry-level police trainee positions through a newly launched online recruitment system, marking a historic shift from manual to digital recruitment.

For the first time, the SAPS is using an electronic recruitment platform to streamline its hiring process. The e-Recruitment portal went live today, 30 June 2025, and will remain open until 18 July 2025. Young South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35 are encouraged to apply via the SAPS website at www.saps.gov.za/careers.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the transition to a digital application system is aimed at improving fairness, transparency, and efficiency in the recruitment process. “The system will reduce paperwork, curb corruption and nepotism, and prevent lost applications,” she said.

Mathe said that the recruitment drive forms part of the SAPS’s ongoing Project 10 000 initiative, spearheaded by President Cyril Ramaphosa, which aims to bolster crime prevention by enlisting more police officers. Over the past three years, 30,393 young people have joined the police service under this initiative.

“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,” she said.

Successful candidates will undergo nine months of training at SAPS academies nationwide and will receive a monthly stipend of R4,500 during the training period.

Currently, 5,500 recruits are undergoing training and are expected to graduate in August and December this year.

Mathe also warned the public that the application process is entirely free, and no SAPS positions are for sale. “Applications must be submitted only via the official SAPS website. Any attempts to buy or sell posts will be dealt with decisively,” she said.

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