SAPS to launch online recruitment system for 5 500 new trainees

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) will launch a new online electronic recruitment system as it seeks 5 500 police trainees to join its ranks.

The recruitment of the trainees whose training will commence between January and February 2026 will be advertised before the end of June.

SAPS WANTS TO RECRUIT OVER 5000 POLICE TRAINEES

Notably, for the first time in the history of the SAPS, they are introducing the online electronic recruitment system which will allow aspiring applicants to apply online to join the ranks.

National police commissioner general Fannie Masemola said that they have increased the age limit to join their ranks to 35 years of age in line with the National Youth Policy.

Masemola said they are moving away from the manual way of doing things and embracing the use of technology to tighten the control measures and enhance accountability.

“The introduction of this online electronic recruitment system aims to avoid allegations that manual applications are being lost and misplaced in the recruitment process,” he said.

Currently, there are 5500 police trainees at various SAPS academies nationwide who will graduate in August, while the rest will graduate in December this year. All 5 500 will be deployed to various police stations and units to bolster the crime-fighting efforts, Masemola added.

CAPACITATION AND FILLING OF VACANT POSTS

We have been hard at work in ensuring that we increase our footprint and bring services closers to the communities that we serve. In the last five years, we have managed to build 31 police stations across the country. These include, Bolobedu police station in Limpopo, Qhasa police station in the Eastern Cape and the Tafelsig police station in the Western Cape, just to mention but a few.

In terms of capacitation, Masemola said through project 10 000 they have been able to increase our numbers on the ground.

“In the past three years, we have added 30 393 more boots on the ground. These newly trained police officers have been deployed to various police stations and units including our detectives to put perpetrators behind bars and to enhance our detective performance; our public order police (POP) unit to enhance our crowd management capacity and capabilities; and our Forensic Science Laboratories to increase the processing of forensic evidence that will ultimately assist to convict perpetrators of crime.”