How to Tell if a Job Advert Is Real

Every day, thousands of South Africans see job adverts that are too good to be true: "Eskom is hiring 500 general workers, no experience needed, send your CV to this WhatsApp number." "SAPS trainee intake, pay R350 to register." "Shoprite cashiers needed urgently, R15 000 per month, email your ID and bank details."

Some of these are crude scams. Others are carefully made, with the right logo, a realistic job title and an official-sounding email address. The cost of being caught can be your money, your personal information or simply weeks of waiting for a job that never existed. This guide gives you a simple checklist to confirm an advert is real before you apply.

Step 1: Find the advert at the source

This is the single most important check. Real job adverts can always be traced back to an official source:

• Company jobs: the company's own website or official careers portal. Large companies often use recruitment platforms, such as Workday, SuccessFactors, SmartRecruiters or Oracle, which are linked from their main website.
• National and provincial government jobs: the DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular, the department's own website, or the provincial government's recruitment page. Our DPSA circular guide explains how the circular works.
• Municipal jobs: the municipality's official website, notice boards and local newspapers.
• State-owned companies such as Eskom and Transnet: their own careers portals.

Go to the official website yourself, by typing the address or searching for the organisation's name, rather than following a link in a message. Look for the same post title and, if there is one, the same reference number. If you cannot find the post anywhere official, treat the advert as suspicious.

Step 2: Check what the advert contains

Real adverts are usually detailed. They normally include:

• A specific post title, and often a reference number.
• The employer's name and the location of the post.
• The requirements: qualifications, experience, licences or registrations.
• The duties of the post.
• A closing date.
• For government posts, the salary or salary level.
• Clear application instructions: an official portal, an official email address or a physical address.

Fake adverts are often vague. They describe "many posts available", promise high pay for little work, list no real requirements and give only a phone number or a personal email address.

Step 3: Look at how you are asked to apply

The application method is often where fakes give themselves away.

• Official portal or official email: a good sign. Official emails end in the organisation's domain, such as "@company.co.za" or ".gov.za", rather than free email services.
• WhatsApp or SMS only: a warning sign. Large employers and government departments do not recruit through WhatsApp numbers.
• Personal email addresses such as Gmail or Yahoo for a big company or department: a strong warning sign.
• Requests to call a premium-rate number or "reply to register": a warning sign.

Step 4: Never pay, never share banking details

Genuine employers do not charge you to apply for a job. That includes:

• Application, registration or "processing" fees.
• Fees for training, uniforms, medical tests or police clearance arranged by the "employer".
• Payment to be placed on a list, to secure a post or to "fast-track" your application.

Also be careful about what personal information you share. You may need to give your ID number on an official application form, but you should never give your banking PIN, online banking password or one-time PIN to anyone. A genuine employer asks for your banking details only after you have been appointed, through its HR process.

Step 5: Watch for pressure and promises

Scammers rely on urgency and hope. Be wary of:

• Pressure to act immediately: "Only 10 places left, pay today."
• Guaranteed jobs: no real employer can guarantee you a post before selection.
• Unrealistic pay: very high pay for entry-level work with no experience required.
• Interviews that are only chats on messaging apps, followed immediately by a job offer.
• Job offers for posts you never applied for.

A quick checklist

1. Can I find this exact post on the employer's official website or in an official circular?
2. Does it name the employer, location, requirements, duties and closing date?
3. Is the application method an official portal, an official email address or a physical address?
4. Is there no fee of any kind?
5. Am I being asked only for the information a normal application needs?
6. Does the pay match what the post would normally pay?
7. Is there no unusual pressure to act immediately?

If the answer to any of these is no, stop and check further before you apply.

Special cases

Recruitment agencies

Legitimate recruitment agencies exist, and many companies use them. A real agency is paid by the employer, not by you. It has a proper website, a registered business and official contact details. Be careful with "agencies" that ask you for money, or that cannot tell you which company the job is with.

Talent pools and "register your interest" adverts

Some real employers advertise talent pools, collecting CVs for future vacancies. These are genuine if they appear on the employer's official careers site, but they are not the same as an open post. Keep applying for specific vacancies too.

Mass recruitment rumours

Messages claiming that a big employer is hiring thousands of people "with no requirements" are very common, especially around SAPS, Eskom, Transnet and retail chains. Real mass intakes, such as police trainee intakes, are announced through the employer's official channels, with clear requirements and application processes. Check before you share.

If you have been scammed

• Stop all communication and further payments.
• Contact your bank immediately if you paid money or shared banking information.
• Report the matter at your nearest police station and keep a case number.
• Save every message, email, advert and proof of payment as evidence.
• Report the advert to the platform where you saw it, and warn friends and family.
• If you shared your ID number, consider contacting a credit bureau about protecting your identity.

Our job scams guide explains the most common scams in more detail. To search adverts that come directly from official sources, use our homepage.

Questions people ask

This guide is written by OnboardingSA to help South African job seekers. Rules and forms change, so always follow the official advert and the employer's own instructions. Browse current jobs →