Understand government opportunities, the honest way
Plain-language guides to South African tenders, RFQs and public-service vacancies. Learn how to find real opportunities, check they're genuine, and respond before the deadline.
Guides to get you started
Short, accurate walkthroughs — no fluff, no fabricated numbers. Each guide lists the official pages it is based on and the day it was checked against them.
Tenders and quotations
How to respond to a government tender
A step-by-step walkthrough: find the tender with its official source, register on the CSD, check eligibility and compliance, then prepare and submit before the deadline. And which payments are a red flag.
Registering on the Central Supplier Database (CSD)
Why suppliers to government register on National Treasury's Central Supplier Database, what you need to register, how your details are verified, and how to keep your record current.
How to read a government tender notice
The parts of a tender advert and bid document that decide whether you can bid: the bid number, the closing date and time, any briefing session, where to submit, who to ask, and the standard bidding forms.
Compulsory briefing sessions: why missing one can cost you the tender
What briefing sessions and clarification meetings are, how a tender tells you one is compulsory, what happens if you miss it, and how attendance is recorded.
Finding tenders on the eTender Publication Portal
What National Treasury's eTender Publication Portal is, which tenders must be published there, how to search it, and where awards and cancellations appear.
Your tax compliance status and the SARS PIN
What SARS's tax compliance status is, why tenders ask for a TCS PIN, how to request one on eFiling, how it is checked, and how it connects to the Central Supplier Database.
B-BBEE certificates and sworn affidavits for small businesses
How exempted micro enterprises and qualifying small enterprises show their B-BBEE status level: the dtic's sworn affidavit templates, CIPC's free certificate for EMEs, and the turnover bands.
How tender points work: the 80/20 and 90/10 systems
How the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022 score a tender: points for price, points for the specific goals the tender names, and which system applies either side of R50 million.
CIDB grading for construction tenders
How the cidb Register of Contractors grades contractors from 1 to 9, the largest contract each grade may be awarded, the classes of construction works, and how registration works.
Quotations or tenders? The thresholds that decide
When government buys through petty cash, written price quotations or open competitive bids: National Treasury's thresholds for departments and public entities, and the regulations for municipalities.
Municipal tenders: how municipalities buy
How municipalities procure under the Municipal Finance Management Act: each municipality's own supply chain management policy, the quotation and bidding thresholds, where municipal tenders are advertised, and the CSD.
Public-service jobs
The public-service vacancy circular, explained
What the weekly DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular is, how to read it, and how Govermate makes it searchable with alerts so you never miss a closing date.
Applying for a public service job: the Z83 form
How to apply for a post in a national or provincial department: the Z83 application form in use since 1 January 2021, what to complete and sign, your CV, certified copies, and the reference number and closing date.
Bursaries, learnerships and internships
Government bursaries, learnerships and internships
NSFAS funding for students at public universities and TVET colleges — who qualifies and how to apply — what a learnership is and how SETAs offer them, and how public service internships are advertised.
Staying safe
How to spot government tender and job scams
What government departments have warned about fake jobs, fake tenders and fake requests for quotation, how to check that an opportunity is real, and where to report fraud.