To register with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) you need a certified ID, your matric certificate, a professional teaching qualification with its complete academic record (or proof that you are enrolled for one, if you are a student teacher), a police clearance certificate no older than six months, and proof that you paid the registration fee. Every application is made online through the government eServices portal.
Registration is not optional. Section 21 of the South African Council for Educators Act 31 of 2000 says a person who qualifies must register with SACE before being appointed as an educator, and that no employer may employ an educator who is not registered. The Act covers public schools, independent schools, TVET colleges and adult learning centres.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
These are the SACE registration requirements for a South African citizen with a professional teaching qualification, taken from SACE’s registration requirements:
- South African ID (both sides if it is a smart ID card)
- Senior Certificate, National Senior Certificate or National Certificate (Vocational) Level 4 – the certificate itself, not a statement of results
- A professional teaching qualification, such as a BEd or PGCE, with a complete academic record showing the completion date and credits
- A police clearance certificate, not a name or fingerprint clearance, no older than six months when you submit
- Proof of payment of the R200 registration fee (R400 for non-South African citizens)
- Certified copies, all saved as PDF, submitted through www.eservices.gov.za
Once registered, you also pay SACE an annual levy, currently listed as R180 (R15 a month). SACE notes that its fees are subject to change and that the registration fee is not refundable.
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
SACE does not admit you to study, so there is no admission test. What it checks is whether your qualification fits a registration category. Under section 22 of the Act, the council registers you in full if you meet all its requirements, or provisionally if it expects you to meet them within a reasonable time. A provisional registration lapses, and your name is removed from the register, if you do not meet the conditions in the period set.
The main categories are:
- Professionally qualified educators: you hold a completed teaching qualification such as a BEd, or a first degree followed by a PGCE.
- Student teachers (provisional registration): you are enrolled for a BEd, PGCE, Advanced Diploma in TVET or Diploma in Grade R Teaching at a recognised, accredited institution.
- Foreign applicants: qualified educators and student teachers who are not South African citizens, with separate permit and evaluation rules.
- Special categories: ECD practitioners, community education and training (CET) practitioners, TVET lecturers, teachers at technical or vocational schools, Montessori, Waldorf and religious educators, music and performing arts teachers, and therapists, psychologists or social workers employed by schools.
If you have a degree but no teaching qualification, SACE treats you as academically qualified but professionally unqualified. You register as a student teacher once you enrol for a PGCE, and you add your first degree certificate and its completed academic record to the application.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
There is no APS score or subject list for SACE registration. APS and school subjects only matter earlier, when a university decides whether to admit you to a BEd. SACE looks at the qualification you finished or are studying for.
For the general professional category, SACE’s examples are the BEd and the PGCE. Special categories accept other qualifications, for example:
- ECD practitioners: a Higher Certificate in ECD at NQF level 5, from the ETDP SETA or a higher education institution
- CET practitioners: a Higher Certificate in ABET/AET Practice (120 credits or more) or a National Diploma in ABET/AET Practice (NQF level 5)
- TVET lecturers: a TVET teaching qualification such as the Diploma in Technical and Vocational Teaching (NQF level 6) or the BEd in Technical and Vocational Teaching (NQF level 7)
- Teachers at technical or vocational schools: for example, an NTC III (N3) with a trade test certificate
- Therapists, psychologists and social workers, and music and performing arts teachers: a relevant diploma or degree of 360 or 480 credits, plus, for therapists and similar professions, current registration with their professional body such as the HPCSA
Foreign professional teaching qualifications must be at NQF level 7 and aligned to South Africa’s critical skills list. They, and any A or O levels, need a recent SAQA evaluation report with a QR code.
Documents and Application Requirements
On top of your ID, matric certificate and police clearance, the documents you need depend on your category:
- Qualified educators: your teaching qualification certificate and a complete academic record on university letterhead, signed and stamped, showing completion date and credits. If the certificate is lost, a signed and stamped declaration from the university or education department that you completed it.
- PGCE holders: also your first (junior) qualification certificate and its complete academic record.
- Student teachers: current proof of registration for your BEd, PGCE or other teacher education qualification, and an academic record for your studies after first year, on university letterhead, dated, signed, stamped and certified.
- Foreign applicants: a valid passport with a work permit, study permit (students) or permanent residence permit, or a refugee permit with refugee ID, or an asylum seeker permit. The permit must be valid for at least six more months and its conditions must allow you to teach in South Africa.
- Name changes: a marriage certificate, divorce decree or other proof where your name differs across documents.
- Criminal record: if your clearance shows a SAPS verification, attach an official SAPS report giving the nature of the offence.
Every copy must be certified as a true copy of the original, dated, and not older than six months. Save each document as a PDF; SACE rejects photos and screenshots.
SACE requires all applications to be made online, so you do not post or hand in a paper SACE registration form. To apply:
- Go to www.eservices.gov.za, choose Education, then SACE professional registration.
- Create a profile with a username and password. If the portal says your profile already exists, log in instead of creating a new one.
- Accept the terms and choose New application, or Status update if you are already registered with SACE, for example to update a provisional registration.
- Pick your registration type, read its requirements, complete the form and upload your documents.
- Complete the declaration, then pay online or upload your proof of bank or EFT payment.
- Click Submit. The application is not lodged until you do.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
SACE has no intake window or closing date. You apply when you qualify, and before you take up a teaching post, because an employer may not appoint you until you are registered. Student teachers register provisionally while studying and apply for a status update once they qualify.
Not every applicant is registered. SACE verifies every police clearance certificate and does not accept one it cannot verify. If your clearance shows a SAPS verification, SACE needs the official SAPS report on the nature of the offence to consider your application.
Registration also carries ongoing obligations:
- You are bound by the SACE Code of Professional Ethics, and SACE can take disciplinary action against a registered educator who breaches it, which may include removal from the register.
- You must keep your annual levy up to date. SACE will not issue a duplicate certificate if your membership fees are in arrears.
- Under SACE’s continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) system, teachers are expected to earn at least 150 professional development points in every three-year cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents are required for SACE registration?
Everyone needs a certified ID, matric certificate (not a statement of results), police clearance under six months old and proof of payment. Then add your teaching qualification and academic record, or, as a student teacher, proof of enrolment and an academic record. Foreign applicants also need a valid permit and a SAQA evaluation.
How much does SACE registration cost?
R200 for South African citizens and R400 for others, plus an annual levy of R180 once registered. A duplicate certificate or a status update costs R50. The registration fee is not refundable, so check you qualify before you pay.
Where do I get the SACE registration form?
New applications are completed online on the eServices portal, not on a printed form. Start at www.eservices.gov.za and select SACE professional registration under Education.
Can I register with SACE as a student teacher?
Yes. Student teachers get provisional registration. You need current proof of enrolment for a teacher education qualification, an academic record, your ID, matric certificate, police clearance and the R200 fee.
Can I register with SACE without a teaching qualification?
Only in specific categories. Graduates without a teaching qualification register as student teachers once enrolled for a PGCE. Other categories, such as ECD practitioners, TVET lecturers and school therapists, register with the qualifications SACE lists for them.
Does a police clearance certificate have to be new?
It must be no older than six months when you submit, and it must be a full police clearance, not a name or fingerprint clearance or a receipt for your application.
Can foreign teachers register with SACE?
Yes, if their permit allows them to teach in South Africa and is valid for at least six more months, and their teaching qualification is at NQF level 7, aligned to the critical skills list and evaluated by SAQA. The registration fee is R400.
SACE sets the registration categories, document rules and fees, and revises them. Before you apply, check the current requirements on the SACE website or contact SACE on 012 663 9517 or [email protected]. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.