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How to become a teacher in South Africa
If you want to inspire, motivate, and guide the next generation into the future, teaching can be an incredibly rewarding career. But it’s also a career facing a crisis; qualified and dedicated educators are in short supply. Forty-four million more teachers are needed around the world by 2030 to meet equitable education goals, according to UNESCO.1
Are you ready to rise to the challenge? Whether you’ve known from a young age that teaching is your passion or you’re considering a career switch, there are a few steps you need to take before reaching the classroom.
Requirement for teaching
Teaching requirements in South Africa include a combination of postgraduate education, registration, and continuing professional development.
The steps below represent one pathway on how to become a teacher. However, your journey to become a teacher might look different. Check with the appropriate governing bodies to confirm the best steps for you and confirm your eligibility before applying to universities or for professional registration.
1. Education
Becoming a teacher starts with being a student. Future educators need training to learn not just the material they’ll eventually share with students, but the best practices to teach and manage classrooms.
In South Africa, there are two degree paths towards teacher certification:2
- A four-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree, or
- A three- or four-year bachelor’s degree and a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
A Bachelor of Education is a four-year, full-time course in which students specialize in one or more schooling phases.3 The phases correspond to their eventual classroom’s age, such as the Foundation Phase for grades R–3 or the Intermediate Phase for grades 4–6.
A Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one- to two-year course taken after completion of an undergraduate degree.4 A PGCE can be a great option for aspiring teachers who already have a bachelor’s degree in a subject other than education and want to switch careers. In this program, students learn via theoretical and practical study focused on the teaching profession. Like in the B.Ed., students can specialize in a specific schooling phase in a PGCE.
For future educators who want to teach Intermediate Phase and older, they can also specialize in a specific subject area. For example, you might choose to study mathematics or language arts.
2. Certification and registration
All qualified teachers must register with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) before applying to teaching posts.5 To complete the SACE registration process, applicants must submit:6
- Certified copies of a degree or professional certificates
- Certified copy of an identity document
- A registration fee
There are also special registration categories. If you’re interested in becoming an early childhood development practitioner or a teacher at a vocational school, for example, you may have to submit additional documentation or certificates.7
For foreign teachers, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) will evaluate your credentials before you can register with SACE. There may also be extra application requirements for teaching.8
Be sure to double check with the appropriate registering authority for the most up-to-date teaching requirements.
3. Apply for jobs
Once you complete your education and register with SACE, you might be ready to apply to teaching posts. Finding a job can be a long and complicated process, but with the right preparation and teaching resources it can feel easier.
In South Africa, there isn’t one central website to find open teaching posts. To get started, you may find some of the below resources helpful.
Individual school websites or offices can be a good place to start if you’re interested in nearby or specific schools. The best method of applying will vary from school to school, so have a CV and professional email prepared if there is no official online portal.
Provincial education departments manage public schools in South Africa. Check with the specific department’s website to see vacant positions at schools in that province. For instance, the Western Cape Government has an e-recruitment portal for applicants.9 The Eastern Cape Education Department has an online form for unemployed teachers, too.10 Other provinces release PDF versions of their postings as they open.
Traditional job board websites, like Indeed and LinkedIn, can have postings for open teaching positions.
The Independent Schools Association of South Africa (ISASA) is an association of independent schools in South Africa. If you’re interested in teaching at a private school, ISASA has an online vacancies board for positions at their member schools.11
4. Professional development
Teaching requires evolving – students’ needs can change as society does. New research into child development and technological advances will also affect classrooms, from best practices to the very tools we use to read and write.
It’s crucial that teachers expand their knowledge and skills over time, so they can adapt to new circumstances and prepare children for tomorrow’s world.
In South Africa, educators must engage in Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) to stay registered with SACE. According to SACE, teachers have to earn at least 150 CPTD points every three years across three types of professional development (PD) categories.12
Type 1: Teacher-initiated activities
These are self-chosen professional development activities meant to give teachers some responsibility over their own learning journey. You can pursue the PD choices that best suit your own schedule, resources, and desired outcomes. Some examples of Type-1 activities include:
- Mentoring and coaching other teachers
- Presenting a conference paper
- Participating in educational book clubs
- Completing a self-funded short course or skills programme
Type 2: School-initiated activities
These are PD activities that are led by schools to address shared needs among their educators. Type-2 activities could be informed by a collective of teachers or the school management team. Some Type-2 activities include:
- School meetings
- School community action research
- Subject cluster meetings
- School seminars or mini conferences
Type 3: Externally-initiated activities
Type-3 activities are led by either employers (provincial education departments, school governing bodies, etc.) or providers (private, NGOs, etc.). Some of these PD activities are subject to SACE evaluation, so it’s important to check with their database to confirm that the programme is eligible for points. Some examples of Type-3 activities include:
- Online teaching courses and skills development programmes
- Conferences and seminars
- Subject content or knowledge upgrading
- Self-diagnostic assessment
FAQ
How much do teachers get paid?
In South African public schools, teachers are paid according to salary bands that correspond to their qualifications, experience, and position. For example, a teacher with four years of university education might enter on Notch 164 out of 375.13 The minimum annual salary at this notch is R333,624, as of January 2024.14
How to become a teacher without a degree?
A degree is part of the teaching requirements for public schools in South Africa. All SACE applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in education, or a bachelor’s degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) to successfully register.
How long does it take to become a teacher?
How long it takes to become a teacher will depend on the educational path you follow and whether you take additional time to complete internships or specialized study. For example, a bachelor’s of education can be completed in four years on a traditional, full-time schedule. Other future teachers may need more time to complete their bachelor’s, earn a PGCE, or finish additional postgraduate education to enter the job at a higher level of mastery.
Can I become a teacher online?
Yes, it is possible to become a teacher online with online degree options from accredited universities. In South Africa, an online degree program from a qualified institution counts the same as an in-person degree. Whether you choose to learn online or on-campus will depend on your resources, time, and goals.
- 1 (2024). ‘Global report on teachers: addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession’. Retrieved from UNESCO.
- 2 (Nd). ‘Do you want to make a difference? Then become a teacher’. Retrieved from Department of Basic Education, Republic of South Africa. Accessed on March 24, 2025.
- 3 (2026). ‘Undergraduate education degree prospectus’. Retrieved from the University of Johannesburg.
- 4 (Feb, 2025). ‘Why the PGCE is the way forward for teachers’. Retrieved from MANCOSA.
- 5 (Nd). ‘Frequently asked questions’. Retrieved from the South African Council for Educators. Accessed on March 24, 2025.
- 6 (Jul, 2021). ‘SACE registration requirements’. Retrieved from the South African Council for Educators.
- 7 (Jul, 2021). ‘SACE registration requirements’. Retrieved from South African Council for Educators.
- 8 (Nd). ‘What is the South African qualifications authority?’. Retrieved from SAQA. Accessed on March 24, 2025.
- 9 (Nd). ‘Western Cape government e-recruitment’. Retrieved from Western Cape Government. Accessed on March 27, 2025.
- 10 (Nd). ‘Unemployed teachers’. Retrieved from the Province of the Eastern Cape, Education. Accessed on March 27, 2025.
- 11 (Nd). ‘What is ISASA?’. Retrieved from ISASA. Accessed on March 27, 2025.
- 12 (Nd). ‘Professional development points schedule’. Retrieved from the South African Council for Educators. Accessed on March 28, 2025.
- 13 Pampallis, I. (Nov, 2022). ‘What do teachers earn?’. Retrieved from Research on Socio-Economic Policy.
- 14 (Jun, 2024). ‘Improvement in conditions of service: annual cost-of-living adjustment for educators’. Retrieved from the Department of Basic Education, Republic of South Africa.
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