Key facts
- Status
- Check with the provider
- Provider
- Traffic Officer
- Study level
- High school
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
No 2027 intakes had been advertised when we checked.
VerifiedTraffic officer learnerships are the formal route into road traffic law enforcement in South Africa. Provincial transport and community safety departments, metros and larger municipalities recruit unemployed young people, train them for about a year at an accredited traffic training college and register them as traffic officers. Intakes are advertised separately by each authority, usually with a window of only two weeks.
About the traffic officer learnership
- Duration: about 12 months, sometimes up to 18, at an accredited traffic training college.
- Content: traffic law, road safety, criminal procedure, vehicle inspection and accident management in the classroom, plus physical training, firearms where applicable, and practical roadblock and patrol experience.
- Qualification: the Further Education and Training Certificate in Road Traffic Law Enforcement (NQF level 4), followed by registration as a traffic officer.
- Stipend: most departments pay a monthly stipend during training, but it is not guaranteed and amounts vary.
- Colleges include Gene Louw (Western Cape), Boekenhoutkloof (Gauteng), Lengau (Free State), Mkhuhlu (Mpumalanga), Matlosana (North West), Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu-Natal) and Tshiimbupfe (Limpopo), plus metro academies.
Traffic officer learnership requirements
- South African citizen, usually resident in the recruiting province or municipality.
- Aged roughly 18 to 35.
- Matric (Grade 12) certificate.
- A valid Code B driver’s licence, manual transmission preferred.
- No criminal record and no visible tattoos when in uniform.
- Physically and mentally fit, able to pass a fitness test and medical, and proficient in English.
How to apply for a traffic officer learnership
- Watch the website and social media pages of your provincial department of transport or community safety, your metro or municipality, and the Road Traffic Management Corporation for the advert.
- Complete the Z83 government application form (download it from dpsa.gov.za) exactly as the advert requires, and prepare a CV with certified copies of your ID, Matric certificate, driver’s licence, proof of residence and passport photos.
- Hand-deliver or post the application to the address in the advert before the closing date. Emailed applications are accepted only where the advert says so.
- If shortlisted, pass the fitness test, medical, driving assessment and interview before being placed at a college.
Traffic officer learnership closing dates
Set by each advert, typically two weeks after publication. No 2027 dates have been published.
Where to look
- Road Traffic Management Corporation: www.rtmc.co.za
- Provincial departments of transport and community safety, and metro websites.
- Public service vacancy circulars at www.dpsa.gov.za
See also SAPS police trainee recruitment and the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety bursary.
FAQs
1. Are traffic officer learnerships open for 2027? +
Not when we checked. Each provincial transport or community safety department, metro and larger municipality advertises its own intake, usually between March and September for training later that year, with windows of about two weeks. Follow your provincial department's website and social media from early 2027.
2. What does the learnership involve? +
About 12 months of training at an accredited traffic training college, combining classroom work in traffic law, road safety and criminal procedure with physical training and practical roadblock and patrol experience, leading to the Further Education and Training Certificate in Road Traffic Law Enforcement and registration as a traffic officer.
3. Who qualifies? +
South African citizens aged roughly 18 to 35 with Matric, a valid Code B driver's licence (manual), no criminal record, no visible tattoos in uniform, physical and mental fitness and good English. Residence in the recruiting province or municipality is usually required.
4. Is it paid? +
Most departments pay a monthly stipend during training, but it is not guaranteed and amounts vary. Graduates apply for traffic officer posts with the department or municipalities.
5. How do I apply? +
Complete the Z83 government application form from the advert and submit it with a CV and certified copies of your ID, Matric certificate, driver's licence and proof of residence to the address in the advert, by hand or post, before the closing date.
6. Which colleges train traffic officers? +
Provincial colleges such as Gene Louw in the Western Cape, Boekenhoutkloof in Gauteng, Lengau in the Free State, Mkhuhlu in Mpumalanga, Matlosana in North West, Pietermaritzburg in KZN and Tshiimbupfe in Limpopo, plus municipal academies.
Update note (checked September 2026): no 2027 intakes had been advertised when we checked. In a typical year provincial intakes are advertised between March and April, metro and municipal intakes between May and June, and late intakes between July and September, with training starting in the second half of the year. Follow your provincial department’s website and social media from early 2027, and prepare your documents and fitness now.
Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.
Apply on the provider’s website