Vacancies exist at South Africa's defence force, but Facebook posts mislead about how to apply
IN SHORT: Social media posts advertising admin and registry vacancies at the South African National Defence Force are not affiliated with the army. The positions are genuine, but the posts misrepresent the application process and requirements.
"DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE IS HIRING," reads a Facebook post advertising vacancies at the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the country's army. According to this Facebook post and many others like it, the positions supposedly require basic computer literacy and a matric certificate.
While these posts include a photo of a document with an SANDF letterhead, they haven't been published by the army. The posts encourage applicants to apply via a website that is not associated with the SANDF. They also misrepresent the requirements and application process for the positions.
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Legit job listings for positions at the Department of Defence and other government departments are available on the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) website. The DPSA is responsible for, among other things, overseeing government employment programmes and regularly advertises public sector jobs in its public service vacancy circular.
Application website not associated with SANDF
The posts link to a website called Find SA Jobs, and the document featured in many posts directs potential applicants to the same URL. The site is filled with adverts from digital advertising services such as Google AdSense, Ezoic, Magnite and Amazon Ads.
However, this page is not officially associated with the defence department or other government departments. What appear to be official documents directing applicants to apply via Find SA Jobs have presumably been created by the person or people who run Find SA Jobs. The jobs listed are genuine, but Find SA Jobs is making money by acting as an intermediary between applicants and the actual SANDF. It also omits vital information from the original job postings.
The actual vacancies were published in a DPSA circular on 14 November 2025. This circular advertised job opportunities across a number of government departments, including agriculture, defence, higher education and training, and more. Each job listing includes far more information than the posts directing users to Find SA Jobs.
For example, the list of department vacancies states that all applications must be submitted by 28 November and must include a specific form available on the DPSA website. The circular does not ask applicants to apply via Find SA Jobs or any other site unassociated with the South African government. Specific jobs have more specific requirements.
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So, applicants for three provisioning administration clerk positions at Waterkloof airbase, as also listed in the social media posts, were instructed to send their completed application forms to specific physical addresses or to an email address associated with Waterkloof airbase. These job postings also provide detailed descriptions of a clerk's duties and the complete job requirements. In addition to a grade 12 or equivalent qualification and computer literacy, the positions also required "good communication (verbal/written) and interpersonal skills" and "numerical skills".
Even if the vacancies advertised in the Facebook posts are genuine, it is always best to find the original job listing to be certain of the exact requirements and application process.
The SANDF did not respond to repeated questions about whether it advertised vacancies outside DPSA circulars.
