Grants, jobs, public services and money, explained

Common tasks

Find your topic

• SASSA grants

  The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) pays grants to older people, people with disabilities, children and their carers. Find the grant that fits, how to apply and how SASSA pays. We are an independent guide, not SASSA.

• SRD grant

  The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is temporary monthly help for adults with little or no income who get no other grant for themselves. You apply and check your status online. We are an independent guide, not SASSA.

• NSFAS

  The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funds students at public universities and TVET colleges. You apply once a year on myNSFAS or the NSFAS app, and applying is free. We are an independent guide, not NSFAS.

• Jobs

  Find government posts, register free with the official work-seeker services, look for learnerships, get your CV, cover letter and interview ready, and know what to do if you are dismissed unfairly. Applying for a job is always free. We are an independent guide, not a government department.

• Home Affairs & licences

  Step-by-step guides to the public services most South Africans need: your ID, passport, birth and death certificates, your driving licence and licence disc, traffic fines and police clearance. We are an independent guide, not a government department.

• Money & tax

  Plain guides to UIF, SARS tax, retirement savings, registering a company and everyday money: your credit record, bank fees and data costs. We explain how fees and deadlines work and link to the official page for the amounts and dates. We are an independent guide, not a government department or a bank.

• Tools

  Quick checks for everyday paperwork. Every tool runs on your phone or computer: nothing you type leaves your device.

Free tools

• APS calculator and matric pass checker

  Type your matric marks to see the level of each subject, your Admission Point Score (APS) and the pass your marks meet: Bachelor's, Diploma, Higher Certificate or the National Senior Certificate.

• Free CV maker

  Fill in your details and get a neat South African CV, ready to save as a PDF or a Word file. It's free, with no sign-up and no payment, and what you type never leaves your phone or computer.

• Deadline calculator and public holidays

  Work out the last day for a SASSA appeal, a birth registration, a UIF claim or a deadline of your own, counted the way South African law counts days, and see the public holidays for any year.

• SA ID number check

  See what the 13 digits of a South African ID number say: the date of birth, gender and citizenship, and whether the last digit matches the rest.

• K53 practice test

  Take a mock test as long as the real learner's licence test, or practise one section at a time: road signs, the rules of the road and the controls of a vehicle. Every answer comes with the rule behind it.

• Loan cost check

  Compare what a lender charges on a small cash loan with the limits in the National Credit Act, and see the most a lender could ask you to pay back.

• Which SASSA grant fits?

  Answer a few questions to see which SASSA grants may fit you or a child you look after, when a child's grant ends and which documents to take. SASSA decides who qualifies.

• UIF calculator

  Estimate what UIF pays from your monthly pay and how long you worked, what maternity benefits come to, and what you and your employer pay into UIF each month.

• Z83 checklist

  Tick off each step of a Z83 application for a government post, from getting the right form to signing and sending it, and print the list to keep next to you.