Johannesburg: Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane has announced that over 600,000 successful applications were recorded during the 2026 Online Admissions application period for Grade 1 and Grade 8.
According to South African Government News Agency, this milestone was reached on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, just under two weeks since the system opened for applications on 24 July 2025. By 2 PM on that Tuesday, the system had logged a total of 600,936 applications, with 254,251 for Grade 1 and 346,685 for Grade 8. Parents and guardians who have not yet applied are encouraged to visit www.gdeadmissions.gov.za before the application period closes on 29 August 2025.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) emphasized the importance of completing the 5 Step Application Process, as incomplete applications will not be considered for placement. Applicants are required to upload certified copies of necessary documents online or submit them in person to selected schools within seven days of applying. If documents are uploaded online, they only need to be submitted once, as all selected schools will have access to them.
The GDE Online Admissions System facilitates document verification by schools and will alert them to verify and update the status of documents. Parents will receive SMS notifications once schools acknowledge receipt and verification. Schools will also get automated alerts when new documents are uploaded. It is advised that parents apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools to enhance the chances of successful placement.
The department highlighted the need for a valid cellphone number for all communication, including placement offers, which will be sent via SMS. Parents are urged to retain all SMS communication regarding their applications. Placement offers for applicants with complete submissions will begin from 16 October 2025, and parents should regularly log in to ensure all steps are completed.
To support parents without digital resources, assistance is available at all Gauteng public schools and through 81 decentralized walk-in centers across the province. The GDE Contact Centre is operational from Monday to Thursday from 07h00 to 17h00, Friday from 07h30 to 16h30, and Saturday from 09h00 to 13h00. Parents can contact the department via call, WhatsApp, or email.
Chiloane expressed gratitude for the trust parents place in Gauteng's education system and urged continued cooperation for online applications.