The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has issued an urgent public warning regarding fraudulent online advertisements falsely offering employment within the education sector, targeting job seekers with fake vacancies and payment promises.
According to WCED Director of Communication, Bronagh Hammond, the department was alerted to widespread fake recruitment campaigns circulating on social media and unauthorised websites.
This scam targets unemployed youth, promising substantial pay to assist with Grade 12 examination processing.
"The WCED has received several enquiries regarding a social media advertisement claiming that the Department of Basic Education is recruiting unemployed youth as examination assistants to mark Grade 12 examination scripts in December 2026 for a payment of R8 230," said Hammond. "This advertisement is false and should be disregarded."
In addition to the examination assistant scam, officials discovered fraudulent teaching post listings that claim to represent local schools.
"The WCED has also been alerted to another website advertising teaching vacancies at schools that have not advertised these posts and where no such vacancies exist," Hammond explained.
"Some schools have confirmed that the advertised positions are fraudulent and were not authorised by the schools concerned," he said.
The department highlighted specific platforms carrying fake positions, pointing out Teaching Jobs & School Vacancies in South Africa (2026) | SA Teachers and Examination Assistant Job as sites containing unauthorised ads.
To protect the public from potential fraud and identity theft, the WCED urged candidates to look out for key warning indicators common in recruitment scams.
"Members of the public are urged to exercise caution when responding to online employment advertisements. Warning signs include requests to apply via private email accounts, such as Gmail addresses, and advertisements that do not follow official recruitment processes," Hammond noted.
How to safely apply for WCED vacancies
The department reiterated that legitimate vacancies are handled strictly through recognised government portals, and candidates should never pay any fees to apply or be hired.
Permanent Teaching Posts: advertised exclusively through the WCED's Directorate: Recruitment and Selection via the official E-Recruitment System. Unemployed educators must register on this platform to apply.
Examination Positions: official opportunities are listed directly on the WCED National Senior Certificate Marking Officials page.
School Governing Body (SGB) Posts: while SGB posts may be advertised by individual schools, candidates should confirm their validity directly with the school telephonically or via its official website.
"The WCED, including Head Office, District Offices and schools, will never request payment for job applications, interviews or appointments," Hammond emphasised.
"Members of the public are encouraged to verify any employment opportunities through official WCED channels before submitting personal information or documentation," he said.