Teaching qualifications are phase-specific, and the phase you qualify for determines which classrooms you may teach in for the rest of your career. Changing later means additional study, so this is the decision to get right at the start.
This page sets out the phases, what each requires, and how subject choices at school and university lock the pathway in.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
What a contact teaching qualification generally requires.
- A National Senior Certificate with a Bachelor’s pass for a Bachelor of Education
- Alternatively a completed degree with appropriate subjects, for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- Subject achievement matching the phase and subjects applied for
- A minimum in the language of instruction
- The institution’s admission score for the programme, revised annually
- A selection assessment or interview, where the institution uses one
- A valid South African ID, or a passport with a study permit
- Application by the closing date, which can be earlier than the general date
Education and Subject Requirements
The four phases and what each needs. Foundation phase covers Grades R to 3 and requires strength in the language of learning and teaching and in early numeracy. Intermediate phase covers Grades 4 to 6 across several subjects. Senior phase covers Grades 7 to 9 with subject specialisation beginning. Further education and training phase covers Grades 10 to 12 and requires deep subject knowledge in two teaching subjects.
Your matric subjects constrain your options. To teach Mathematics or Physical Sciences in the FET phase you generally need to have taken and done well in them yourself. Mathematical Literacy does not support teaching Mathematics.
Choose two teaching subjects deliberately for the FET phase, and pick at least one in demand. Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Technology, Accounting and African languages are in persistent shortage, and that shortage translates directly into posts, bursaries and negotiating position.
Foundation phase has a language requirement that matters. Teaching in the foundation phase generally requires competence in the language of learning and teaching of the school, and teachers who can teach in an African language are in particular demand.
Confirm the admission requirements with the institution, since scores and subject minimums are set by it and revised annually.
Nobody may be employed as an educator without registration with the South African Council for Educators (SACE). The South African Council for Educators Act 31 of 2000 makes it a condition of employment in public schools, independent schools and early childhood development centres alike. Registration requires a recognised professional teaching qualification, a police clearance and acceptance of the Code of Professional Ethics.
Age, Fitness, Licence and Background Requirements
A police clearance is required for SACE registration and for working with children. A person listed on the National Child Protection Register under the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 or the National Register for Sex Offenders may not work with children, and employers check both.
Teaching practice runs through the qualification at placements the institution arranges or approves. Ask how placements work and in what kinds of school — the range of schools you practise in shapes what you are ready for.
There is no upper age limit on qualifying as a teacher, and career-changers are common. What matters is the phase and subject fit.
Physical and vocal demands are real, particularly in the foundation phase and in large classes. Voice care is a genuine occupational issue for teachers and worth knowing about early.
Places are limited and competitive in some phases and institutions, so apply early and to more than one.
Documents and Evidence Required
What is needed to apply and to register.
- Certified copy of your South African ID or passport
- Certified copy of your National Senior Certificate or final Grade 12 results
- Certified copy of your degree certificate and transcripts, for a PGCE
- A SAQA evaluation, for a foreign qualification
- A police clearance certificate
- SACE registration documents on qualifying
- Proof of payment of the application fee, where one applies
- A study permit, for international applicants
Application and Selection Process
Apply directly to the institution as soon as applications open. Apply separately for funding — NSFAS on its own timeline, and the Funza Lushaka bursary programme, which funds initial teacher education in priority subject areas through the Department of Basic Education.
Read the Funza Lushaka service obligation before accepting. It requires you to teach at a public school for the number of years funded, and it is a binding contract with financial consequences for non-compliance.
Public school posts are advertised through provincial education department bulletins with prescribed procedures and firm closing dates. Independent schools recruit separately, on their own terms.
Nobody can sell you a post. Any offer to secure a school appointment for payment is fraud.
- Choose the phase before you apply — changing later means more study
- Check that your matric subjects support the subjects you want to teach
- Pick at least one shortage subject for the FET phase
- Consider foundation phase teaching in an African language — demand is high
- Confirm admission scores and closing dates with the institution
- Obtain a police clearance certificate
- Apply for NSFAS and Funza Lushaka on their own timelines
- Read the Funza Lushaka service obligation before accepting
- Register with SACE on qualifying — it is a condition of employment
- Never pay anyone claiming to secure a teaching post
Frequently Asked Questions
Which phase should I choose?
Decide by the age group you want to teach, because changing phase later means additional study. Foundation is Grades R to 3, intermediate 4 to 6, senior 7 to 9, and FET 10 to 12.
Can I teach Mathematics if I took Mathematical Literacy?
Generally no for the FET phase. Teaching a subject at that level requires having taken and done well in it yourself. Check the institution’s requirement for the subject you want.
Which subjects are in demand?
Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Technology, Accounting and African languages, and foundation phase teaching in an African language. That demand translates into posts and bursaries.
Is there an age limit?
No. Career-changers are common in teaching. What matters is the phase and subject fit rather than age.
Admission requirements, phase specialisations, SACE registration and bursary criteria are set by the institution, SACE and the Department of Basic Education, and are revised. Confirm current requirements with each.