DPSA Circular 35 of 2026: Entry-Level Government Jobs for Grade 10, Grade 12 & TVET Applicants

South Africans looking for government employment have another major batch of vacancies to investigate following the publication of DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular 35 of 2026.

The latest circular includes opportunities across national departments and provincial administrations, with vacancies ranging from entry-level support and clerical positions to artisan, administrative, health, social-development and technical occupations.

For applicants with Grade 10, Grade 12/Matric, NQF Level 4 qualifications, TVET qualifications, trade qualifications, Diplomas and Degrees, Circular 35 is worth investigating carefully.

Edupstairs has extracted and organised 61 vacancies from Circular 35 into individual vacancy pages so that applicants do not have to search blindly through the entire government circular.

Instead, start with the Edupstairs DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform, where government vacancies are organised to make entry-level opportunities easier to discover.

Applicants who prefer working directly from the government source can also access DPSA Circular 35 of 2026 directly on the official DPSA website.

Quick Overview: DPSA Circular 35 of 2026

Circular: DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular 35 of 2026
Country: South Africa
Sector: Public Service / Government
Opportunities extracted by Edupstairs: 61 vacancy records
Qualification levels: Grade 10, Grade 12, NQF Level 4, trade qualifications and various tertiary qualifications depending on the position
Major vacancy areas: Administration, Registry, Drivers, General Work, Artisans, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Health, Nursing and Social Services
Application method: Depends on the advertising department
Main resource: Edupstairs DPSA Entry-Level Jobs
Official source: DPSA Circular 35 of 2026

The DPSA explains that Public Service Vacancy Circulars are normally published weekly and contain vacancies advertised by participating Public Service departments. Although DPSA publishes the circular, enquiries about individual vacancies must be directed to the department advertising the position.

Grade 10 Government Jobs in Circular 35

One of the important features of Circular 35 is that not every government vacancy requires Matric, a Diploma or a Degree.

The CSV vacancy data reviewed by Edupstairs contains several positions where Grade 10 or an equivalent qualification is specifically identified.

Driver/Messenger – Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture Driver/Messenger vacancy in Pretoria requires Grade 10/ABET together with a valid Code 8 driver’s licence and relevant experience.

Tradesman Aid Building – Carpentry

Applicants interested in practical work should investigate the Tradesman Aid Building (Carpentry) position in Cape Town.

The advertised minimum educational qualification is Grade 10 or equivalent, although applicants must also satisfy the position’s experience and practical requirements.

Artisan Assistant – George Regional Hospital

Another technical entry route is the Artisan Assistant vacancy at George Regional Hospital.

The vacancy specifies Grade 10 or equivalent together with appropriate experience in general building maintenance, minor repairs and/or assisting artisans.

These examples demonstrate why applicants should not automatically assume that every government job requires Matric.

However, Grade 10 alone does not automatically qualify you. Read the experience, licence, physical, technical and competency requirements attached to the individual vacancy.

Grade 12 Government Jobs: Clerks, Registry and Administration

Circular 35 also contains a strong group of opportunities for applicants with Grade 12, Senior Certificate or an equivalent NQF Level 4 qualification.

For example, the Department of Employment and Labour is recruiting for Registry Clerk X2 posts in Limpopo. The extracted vacancy requires Grade 12/Senior Certificate or equivalent and states that no experience is required.

Applicants can also investigate the Administrative Clerk: Support Services IES vacancy in Kimberley, which requires Matric/Grade 12/Senior Certificate.

Another opportunity is the Client Service Officer: Inspection and Enforcement Services vacancy in Stanger, where Grade 12 is specified and the extracted advertisement states that no experience is required.

In North West, applicants can investigate the Secretary: Youth Advocacy Coordination position and Administrative Clerk: Public Participation vacancy.

There are also Administration Clerk X2 posts in Vhembe and an Administration Clerk opportunity in Mopani.

Government Opportunities for TVET Applicants

TVET College applicants should not search Circular 35 only for jobs containing the words “TVET” or “N6”.

Your qualification may correspond to occupations advertised under terms such as:

Administration Clerk, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Artisan, Secretary, Technical Support, Finance, Maintenance or Personal Assistant.

For example, students and graduates from programmes such as Management Assistant, Business Management, Human Resources Management, Financial Management and Engineering Studies should compare their qualifications against the exact requirements of relevant vacancies.

If you are considering studying at a public college or need further vocational education, use the Edupstairs TVET College Explorer to investigate South Africa’s public TVET Colleges and their vocational, occupational, NC(V) and NATED pathways.

Do not assume that holding an N4, N5 or N6 automatically makes you eligible for a particular vacancy. The qualification specified in the government advertisement remains decisive.

Artisan Opportunities in Circular 35

The extracted Circular 35 dataset also contains several artisan and technical opportunities.

These include:

Trade-test and technical requirements apply to these artisan vacancies, so they should not be confused with general entry-level positions requiring only Grade 10 or Matric.

If you want to become an artisan but do not yet hold the required trade qualification, investigate apprenticeship and occupational-training pathways through the Edupstairs SETA Platform.

Circular 35 Jobs Extracted by Edupstairs

Below are the vacancies contained in the Circular 35 dataset reviewed for this article.

Department of Employment and Labour

Department of Defence and Department of Agriculture

Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness

Applicants can investigate the following Circular 35 vacancies:

Medical Specialist: General Surgery; Oral Hygienist; Tradesman Aid Building (Carpentry); Cleaner at Murraysburg Hospital; General Stores Assistant; and General Worker Stores: Supply Chain Management.

Health and technical opportunities include Nursing Assistant X3 Posts, Artisan Assistant, Staff Nurse: Paeds Ground and Paeds OPD and Staff Nurse: Female Pre-Discharge Ward 3.

Administration opportunities include Administration Clerk: Information Management – Stellenbosch PHC, Administration Clerk: Supply Chain Management, Administration Clerk: Admissions – Stellenbosch Hospital, Administration Clerk: Information Management – Dr Abdurahman CDC and Administration Clerk: Admissions and Fees – Groote Schuur Hospital.

There are further vacancies for Administration Clerk: Information Management – Khayelitsha District Hospital, Administration Clerk: Support – Central Karoo EMS and Administration Clerk: Information Management – Karl Bremer Hospital.

Technical and professional vacancies include Artisan Production: Plumbing, Artisan Production: Building and Civils, Pharmacist Assistant Post Basic, Professional Nurse: General Ward X2, Professional Nurse: GIT/Surgery Relief/ENT/Plastic X3, Professional Nurse: General Nursing, Professional Nurse: PHC and Professional Nurse: Chronic Ward.

Also see the Administrative Officer: Support Services, Liaison Officer: Quality Assurance and Social Worker Grade 1–4 X2 Posts vacancies.

Western Cape Department of Education

Circular 35 also contains six Social Services Professional/ECD records:

Social Worker: ECD vacancy 1, ECD vacancy 2, ECD vacancy 3, ECD vacancy 4, ECD vacancy 5 and ECD vacancy 6.

North West COGTA

Limpopo Government

Applicants can investigate Administration Clerk X2 Posts in Vhembe, Administration Clerk in Mopani, Artisan Production Grade A, Artisan Production Grade A: Diesel Mechanic and Administrative Officer: Acquisition Management.

The Limpopo Office of the Premier also has an Administrative Officer: Auxiliary Services vacancy and an Administrative Officer: Service Delivery Intervention vacancy.

KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng

Other extracted vacancies include the Secretary to the Director: IGR and Executive Support, Community Development Practitioner, Artisan Plumber at ST Chads CHC and Administrative Clerk: Supervisor at ST Chads CHC.

Gauteng applicants can also investigate the Administrative Officer: Public Private Partnerships vacancy at Gauteng Provincial Treasury.

Don’t Search the DPSA Circular Blindly

A Public Service Vacancy Circular contains jobs at very different occupational and qualification levels.

This is why Edupstairs developed the DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform.

Rather than working through senior management, highly specialised and professional vacancies that may not apply to you, use the platform to investigate more accessible positions such as:

Administration Clerks, Registry Clerks, Drivers, Cleaners, General Workers, Tradesman Aids, Artisan Assistants, Secretaries, Supply Chain positions and other entry-level or junior government occupations.

But always remember:

Edupstairs helps you discover the vacancy. The official advertisement determines whether you qualify.

Research the Career, Not Just the Vacancy

Getting a government job can solve an immediate employment problem, but it is also useful to understand where an occupation can take you.

Use the Edupstairs Career & Qualification Explorer to research South African careers, OFO occupations, SAQA qualifications, NQF levels and qualification pathways.

The current Edupstairs database contains more than 1,500 OFO careers and over 22,000 SAQA qualification records.

For Circular 35, useful career areas to investigate include:

Public Administration, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Accounting, Office Administration, Plumbing, Diesel Mechanics, Building and Construction, Nursing, Social Work, Information Technology and Community Development.

Don’t Know Which Career Suits You?

Some job seekers know they need employment but are not yet sure which occupational direction suits them.

The Edupstairs Career Discovery tool provides a 30-activity occupational-interest assessment that takes approximately four to six minutes and does not require an account.

It suggests careers based on a user’s occupational interests. The results are interest matches rather than eligibility scores, so users must still investigate the qualifications and entry requirements associated with each career.

Check QCTO-Accredited Training Providers Before Paying for Training

If a government vacancy makes you realise that you need an occupational qualification, apprenticeship or trade pathway first, do not simply enrol with the first training provider you find.

Use the QCTO provider information available through the Edupstairs Career & Qualification Explorer to investigate QCTO-accredited Skills Development Providers and Assessment Centres associated with occupational qualifications.

Accreditation matters.

A training provider advertising a qualification does not automatically prove that the provider is authorised to offer that particular occupational qualification.

Always verify before paying.

Use the SETA Platform to Build the Experience You Are Missing

If Circular 35 shows you that you lack experience or occupational training, your next step may be a learnership, apprenticeship, internship, WIL programme or skills programme rather than another permanent-job application.

The Edupstairs SETA Platform brings together South Africa’s 21 SETAs and more than 1,000 programme and pathway records across learnerships, apprenticeships, occupational qualifications, WIL, internships, artisan development, bursaries and skills programmes.

That can be particularly useful for TVET students and graduates who have academic training but still need workplace experience.

Latest Internships on Edupstairs

Government vacancies should form only one part of your employment strategy.

Applicants should also investigate recently published workplace-development opportunities.

Recent Edupstairs opportunities include the International SOS Quality Internship Programme 2026 for students and graduates interested in quality, health and safety, compliance and related fields.

Engineering, Health & Safety, Environmental and Quality graduates can investigate the FUCHS Group SHEQ Internship Programme 2026.

Supply Chain, Logistics and Procurement graduates can consider the Abbott South Africa Procurement Internship Programme 2026.

Other recently published Edupstairs opportunities include NTT DATA’s Young Talent Graduate Programme, Apex Group graduate internships, SARS’s Graduate Talent Pool, TIA’s Bioprocessing Internship and IDC’s Graduate Internship Programme.

Latest Learnerships and Skills Opportunities

Matric applicants should also investigate the UIF ITR Learnership Programme 2026, a 12-month programme advertised with a R3,000 monthly stipend.

Applicants interested in practical trades can also read about the Limpopo Office of the Premier and ETDP SETA Plumbing Short Skills Programme 2026, which was published by Edupstairs for 94 unemployed youth.

For Matric applicants interested in hospitality, the City Lodge Hotels Yes4Youth Reception and Night Audit Programme 2026 provides another pathway into workplace experience.

Applicants interested specifically in artisan careers should continue monitoring Edupstairs’ apprenticeship and artisan opportunities alongside the SETA Platform and QCTO provider database.

How to Apply for DPSA Circular 35 Vacancies

Do not send one generic application everywhere.

Start by opening the vacancy you want through the DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform or through the official DPSA Circular 35 of 2026 page.

Read the complete requirements.

Check the reference number, centre, salary, qualification requirements, experience requirements, application address or email, supporting-document requirements and closing date.

The DPSA’s general directions state that applications must be made using the prescribed Z83 form, with the required particulars and supporting information, and that applicants must quote the vacancy reference number. Applications must reach the relevant advertising department on or before the applicable closing date.

Importantly, applications are sent to the department advertising the vacancy — not to DPSA and not to Edupstairs.

Official Requirements vs Edupstairs Guidance

Official requirements

The qualification, experience, licence, registration, competency, location, reference number, salary, application procedure and closing date contained in each vacancy advertisement are the requirements applicants must follow.

Edupstairs guidance

The Career & Qualification Explorer, Career Discovery tool, TVET College Explorer, QCTO provider research, SETA Platform, related internship and learnership recommendations and career-planning information in this article are additional Edupstairs resources.

They do not change the requirements imposed by the advertising government department.

Continue Researching Learning Pathways

Don’t stop after submitting one government application.

Use the DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform to continue searching government vacancies.

Research occupations and qualifications through the Career & Qualification Explorer.

If you do not know which occupational direction suits you, complete the Career Discovery assessment.

Applicants considering vocational education can compare South Africa’s public colleges through the TVET College Explorer.

Those pursuing occupational qualifications should investigate QCTO-accredited providers through the Career & Qualification Explorer before paying for training.

For learnerships, apprenticeships, WIL, skills programmes and occupational training, explore the SETA Platform.

And applicants who want to discuss government applications, Z83 questions or application experiences with other job seekers can visit the Edupstairs Community.

Tools you may find useful:

View Other Employment Opportunities here

Need Help?

Edupstairs Advice

Do not measure your government-job search by how many applications you submit.

Measure it by how many suitable, complete and correctly targeted applications you submit.

If you have Grade 10, focus first on vacancies that genuinely accept Grade 10.

If you have Matric, investigate clerical, registry, secretarial, customer-service and other positions where Grade 12 is sufficient.

If you have an N6 or another TVET qualification, search according to the occupational field your qualification prepares you for rather than searching only for “N6 jobs”.

If you are trade-tested, investigate the artisan vacancies.

And if you repeatedly discover that the positions you want require a qualification or experience you do not yet possess, change the strategy.

Use the Career & Qualification Explorer to identify the qualification pathway, check accredited occupational training providers, investigate the TVET College Explorer and use the SETA Platform to find workplace learning.

Your pathway may be:

Grade 10/12 → skills training → learnership/apprenticeship → qualification → workplace experience → government vacancy

or:

TVET qualification → WIL/apprenticeship → trade test/workplace experience → artisan vacancy

or simply:

Grade 12 → correctly targeted entry-level government application → interview → Public Service career

There is no single pathway that fits every applicant.

The important thing is to understand what you currently qualify for, identify what you are missing and keep building from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DPSA Circular 35 of 2026?

It is a Public Service Vacancy Circular containing vacancies advertised by participating South African national and provincial government departments.

Where can I find Circular 35 entry-level jobs?

Use the Edupstairs DPSA Entry-Level Jobs platform to investigate extracted government vacancies.

Where can I access the original government circular?

You can access DPSA Circular 35 of 2026 directly from DPSA.

Are there Grade 10 jobs in Circular 35?

Yes. The dataset reviewed by Edupstairs includes positions such as Driver/Messenger, Tradesman Aid Building (Carpentry) and Artisan Assistant where Grade 10 or equivalent is specified as the educational requirement.

Additional requirements apply, so Grade 10 alone does not necessarily qualify an applicant.

Are there jobs for people with Matric?

Yes. The extracted vacancies include various clerical, registry, secretarial, client-service and administrative opportunities requiring Grade 12, Senior Certificate or an equivalent qualification.

Are there opportunities for TVET graduates?

Yes, depending on the qualification. TVET applicants should compare their particular NATED, NC(V), occupational or trade qualification against each vacancy’s requirements.

Do I apply to Edupstairs?

No. Edupstairs does not receive government job applications.

Applications must be submitted according to the instructions issued by the government department advertising the position.

Do I need a Z83 form?

Applicants should follow the application instructions in the vacancy. DPSA’s general Public Service vacancy directions require the prescribed Z83 application form and require applicants to quote the relevant vacancy reference number.

You can also:

Application Outcome Tracker (anonymous)

No names collected. This helps future applicants understand real-world timelines.

Have you applied for this opportunity?

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Disclaimer

This Edupstairs Opportunity Explainer is based on DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular 35 of 2026, the Circular 35 vacancy dataset supplied to Edupstairs and additional Edupstairs career, qualification and opportunity research.

Vacancies may be amended, withdrawn or filled by the relevant government department. Applicants must verify the current vacancy status, requirements, reference number, salary, closing date and application procedure through the official advertisement before applying.

Edupstairs does not recruit on behalf of DPSA or any government department, does not receive applications and cannot guarantee shortlisting, interviews or employment.

Never pay anyone who claims that they can secure a government job, interview or appointment for you.

Editorial Integrity

The vacancy titles, departments, centres and individual Edupstairs vacancy links included above were compiled from the uploaded Circular 35 vacancy dataset containing 61 records.

Official Public Service application guidance is based on the Department of Public Service and Administration’s published directions to candidates.

Information concerning career planning, TVET Colleges, QCTO provider research, Career Discovery, the SETA Platform and recently published Edupstairs internships, learnerships and skills opportunities is supplementary Edupstairs guidance intended to help applicants build broader education, training and employment pathways.

These additional resources do not replace the official requirements of any government vacancy.

EDUPSTAIRS IS A REGISTERED NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION NPO No: 232 – 182, PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANISATION (PBO): 930066984. EDUPSTAIRS DOES NOT, IN ANY WAY OR FORM, SOLICIT MONEY OR CV’S FROM PEOPLE FOR JOBS. PLEASE BE AWARE OF PHONY JOB POSTINGS AND RECRUITMENT FRAUD. USE THE EDUPSTAIRS SCAM DETECTOR TOOL TO SPOT A SCAM BEFORE YOU APPLY