Education

UKZN Online Registration 2025

The platform has a sequential process that shows you the guide on how to register for your courses and understand the code of conduct by accepting it on the online platform.

How To Register At UKZN Online

With UKZN 2025 online registration, you must provide your personal contact information, address, curriculum, and proof of registration.

Open your web browser(Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) and type ukzn.ac.za in the search bar.

This opens the home page, where you can locate the registration button. You can choose the college you wish to register with. The colleges include health science, agricultural and engineering services, humanities, law, and management services.

Each college contains all the prerequisites and requirements for UKZN online registration.

To Register at UKZN online, you need a valid student number that logs you into the school administration’s portal.

The online platforms give you access to the I-enabler platform, which contains all information regarding the school, application, registration, residence, and financial information.

The final registration process, where you provide your proof, enables you to view all your modules, rules, and credit registration for the academic year.

UKZN Online Registration 2025 Dates

The academic year for UKZN begins in January. This is the time all online registration platforms are open to students. The 2025 registration begins the first week of January and ends in February. Contrary to this, students who require special registration or struggle to register for their modules and courses are expected to visit the administration for further technical assistance. There is always a timeline for this external issue, and UKZN requires your proof of registration to be valid before lectures begin. The precise deadline for the 2025 UKZN online registration ends on 25th February.

UKZN Online Registration Fee

The amount required for you to pay for the UKZN online registration fee differs among the modules and academic year. The colleges within UKZN pay almost the same amount for all types of registration. Students are informed of the new registration fee that needs to be cleared each academic year as part of the proof. The online registration fee for UKNZ does not exceed R3800. There are different ways to claim financial clearance after paying the online registration fee.

NWU Online Registration

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As a first-year student, you must partake in the orientation and onboarding program. These are basic programs to help you start NWU life and navigate your way through the corners and walls of the school.

NWU Online Registration 2025

This process gives you insight into the university, its code of conduct, its faculties, and other extracurricular activities, such as sports and dancing.

As a noble institution, NWU provides secure and smooth online registration for all students, including local and foreign. This entire process gives every individual the mandate to study a course, whether as a fresher or a continuing student. For NWU to ensure adequate time and for all online registration, announcements across media and all other publications are highlighted for a period of time.

North-West University Registration Dates and Closing Dates

NWU 2025 online registration begins in the mid of February and ends in the first week of April; continuing students or returning students, while the freshers have a timeframe of one month, starting the first week of March and ending in the first week of April. As part of the measures NWU takes to maintain its high reputation, students are advised to start the registration process early and report all technical issues they may face. Although NWU may not categorically be classified as an Information Technology school, its IT departments stay on top to ensure fast and uninterrupted online registration.

How To Register At NWU 2025

The registration and application processes at NWU differ in a particular order. To gain registration access, all qualified individuals must submit their application online.

Registration at NWU in 2025 comes after the university checks and approves your online application. To register at NWU 2025, you must ensure you qualify and have all the requirements.

The 2025 online application usually begins around 15th April and closes around the first week of August. To apply at NWU, you can purchase the online form by using unique codes for the login details. This form contains spaces to fill in your personal details, financial abilities, interests, career pathline, and grades.

The faculties and category certifications may vary depending on the application and registration date. Depending on the numbers, the application timeline can be extended, and it usually gives students with financial constraints a timeline to register after application. Comprehensive details can be found on the NWU platforms. The registration at NWU 2025 has developed to the point of getting all the information on the NWU app. All career centres and activities are shared with you to equip you and prepare you for your academics.

How Much Is the NWU Registration Fee For 2025?

The NWU annual registration for continuing and senior students is a must and can not be bypassed by any individual. Every fresher is required to ensure payment of its 2025 registration fee. NWU has a mandatory policy; no student can approve their courses or programs without paying the registration fee. The registration fee must be paid before applying to NWU. The registration gives you the entry to submit all your applications. All registration fees are not refundable, and in some cases, your application can be denied afterwards.

The NWU 2025 registration fee ranges from 1930 RSA to 1980 RSA, depending on your certification. Students require other additional payments; this enables them to process and access all orientation information.

UFS Prospectus – How to Download And Apply to UFS

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UFS plays a major role in teaching and learning, as well as advising academic projects nationally and internationally.

Once the academic year begins, applicants worldwide will look to find ways to download the UFS prospectus. This is a highly required document for prospective or new students. The UFS prospectus, mostly in pdf format, contains all the information you need to complete your UFS admission.

Viewing your desired university’s prospectus is important for you to gain necessary information regarding your specific program or other details like fees, accommodation, campus facilities, admission requirements, courses, and all other required information.

Our blog will provide information on downloading or accessing the 2024 UFS prospectuses.

To view it, you will need a smartphone, tablet, or computer that accepts PDF file downloads.

How To Download UFS Prospectus 2025

To access the UFS prospectus, you can do so through a quick Google search or searching “prospectus” on the university’s website.

To access the UFS prospectus on the website, simply visit www.ufs.ac.za. Locate the prospective within the page and select prospectus to view all the available prospective for the academic year. If navigating your way on the homepage is the problem, you can easily click the search button at the top right corner of the home page and type in “prospectus.” This will direct you to the page, and you can click to download your required prospectus.

UFS Undergraduate Prospectus

It is important to note that the UFS undergraduate prospect is targeted at prospective undergraduate students looking to apply to The University of Free State and looking forward to starting their academic year in the current year. The prospectus describes and outlines the university’s programs/courses and services and the admission requirements for each program. Reading all the university’s rules, policies, and regulations is important. From time to time, the university amends it to suit the students, the mission, and the school’s objective.

Part of their mission is inspiring and excellent transformation of lives. UFS stands for quality, positive impact, and care.

The undergraduate prospectus for UFS contains the pros and cons of your choice, the faculties within the school, a detailed description of their various campuses, applications for local and international applicants, various offices and facilities, and the bursary procedures.

UFS Postgraduate Prospectus

As we know, postgraduate is all about furthering the undergraduate courses that you completed. Hence, the prospectus describes and outlines the university’s programs/courses and services and the admission requirements for each program. Reading all the university’s rules, policies, and regulations is essential. Every academic year, UFS updates and makes necessary amendments to its programs that will reflect the objectives and mission of the school.

Even with the postgraduate prospectus, there are requirements to gain admission to UFS. Not all programs offered in the undergraduate section are offered in the postgraduate section. Some programs may be offered if there are enough applicants, and this is a normal procedure to ensure the logistics and facilities are ready to serve the students or applicants.

Do You Upload UFS Prospectus When Submitting an Application?

The school administration provides the UFS prospectus. New and prospective students who have submitted their UFS application are not required to submit the UFS prospectus again. This PDF document has already been made accessible to all students on the University’s website. You can easily download it based on entry purposes, whether undergraduate or postgraduate.

Does UFS Have Bursaries?

At this moment, there is good news for all students or applicants at UFS. It has been confirmed that from April 2025, UFS will receive bursaries. The university will also provide a detailed step-by-step process for remitting all payments. The need is to ensure that all bursaries from UFS will be available and provide financial assistance to all departments within the university.

Does NSFAS Funds UFS Students?

As part of the new arrangement with UFS, NSFAS allocates all your funds to the UFS system, which automatically allows you to register your courses without making any payment. NSFAS sends SMS alerts to all notified parties. NSFAS provides funding to UFS students regularly and upon request. All approval and validation are done to ensure students who applied for financial aid will receive alerts informing them about their payment.

If you still have concerns or inquiries about accessing the prospectus at UFS, feel free to email studentadmin@ufs.ac.za or call 051 401 9666. For general information, email info@ufs.ac.za.

How to Register On the Central Supplier Database [CSD]: Step-by-Step Guide

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Governments worldwide have ways that they do business with private suppliers, with minimum set standards that must be adhered to. In the same manner, the South African Government has its own demands, one of which is that all businesses that do business with it be registered and entered into the Central Supplier Database (CSD) of the country.

What is the CSD? Well, this is a platform where individuals, businesses, and institutions that want to do business with the South African Government can register their details. The fact that you would have registered there is, in fact, an expression of interest in doing business with the Government of South Africa. The CSD, therefore, maintains a database of organizations, institutions, and individuals who can provide goods and services to the Government. And, below is the registration process.

Visit the CSD website, click where it says Register, and register as a new account
Afterwards, you receive an activation email to the email address you would have used to register. Follow instructions to activate the account
Log into your account on CSD
Next, you will fill in the following details, as requested
- Supplier identification information – foreign suppliers can register too
- Provide your industry classification
- Provide your contact and address information
- Provide your banking details
- Provide your tax information

The above stages are the initial registration processes. Once you are done with those, you will be asked to proceed. Below is how the process will continue;

After providing your tax information, if your company was not registered through the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), you will be asked to provide directors and members information
Provide company associations, if relevant
Provide commodities information
Maintain users
Complete notification information
If relevant, provide accreditation information
Complete your B-BEE information
Once done, click on Submit to continue

After submission, a CSD supplier number and unique registration reference are auto-generated and sent to you. Once you complete registering, your information will be verified before inclusion in the database. Organs of the state will now be able to access your verified CSD supplier information after you are included, and you will also receive communication to that effect.

Kindly note that there is auto-verification of supplier information with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the CIPC, and other relevant organizations that maintain up-to-date databases of companies. Therefore, if your company is registered in South Africa and is not up to date with its taxes, or is not compliant on its annual returns with the CIPC, that may jeopardize your chances of making it into the government suppliers database.

Also, as a parting shot, you cannot do business with the South African Government outside this process. Therefore, it helps that your company adheres to all the registration requirements. It will increase your chances of being approved and included in the database. However, the registration process is not very scary, nor is it too difficult – approach it calmly and provide everything they require.

How to Apply for SITA Learnership Programme

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The SITA ICT learnership program offers a year-long paid internship to qualifying South Africans who are willing to advance their careers in the field of Information Technology (I.T.).

SITA is a government I.T. agency central to the successful implementation of the National Development Plan Vision 2030. Also, this agency exists for the sole purpose of strategically leveraging I.T. as a resource for the Government, using it to manage the I.T. procurement and delivery process. This is done so that the Government gets value for money and uses I.T. to support the delivery of e-Government services to all citizens.

Hence, the first part of a successful job application is preparation. In your preparation, first, get on the SITA site and review the requirements for the learnership program. When done, make sure that you introduce yourself in your CV, stating how you will help advance the above-listed SITA functions and how you will benefit South Africa at large.

Here are the major requirements for the application:

You must be an unemployed South African citizen between 18 and 35 years
You must have completed Matric / Grade 12
You must possess an IT Degree, Project Management, or equivalent qualification
You must also be Computer-literate
No working experience is required
Applicants should not have participated in any internship program before

Once you are done preparing and reviewing all requirements, gather all required documents. These are your S.A. I.D copy and copies of all qualifications. If you have an international qualification, get it verified by SAQA. Remember, SAQA has a turnaround time which may stretch to 14 days or more in some cases. Therefore, make sure that you apply for their evaluation in time – enough not to miss the deadline.

Once you are done with the paperwork, send your detailed CV, certified copies of qualifications and a copy of your S.A. I.D document to the preferred provincial office. SITA releases emails that you must use for each province. These emails are also specific to which division you will be applying for.

Here are examples of emails they used for applications:

If you were applying in the Eastern Cape province, you would send your CV and supporting documents to ecrecruitment@sita.co.zaIf you were applying in Gauteng Province; you send your CV and supporting documents to gprecuitment@sita.co.za

The rest of the provinces’ email addresses are listed below;

Mpumalanga/Nelspruit – mprecuitment@sita.co.za
Western Cape – wcrecuitment@sita.co.za
Northern Cape – ncrecuitment@sita.co.za
Limpopo – lprecuitment@sita.co.za
Kwazulu-Natal – kznrecuitment@sita.co.za
North West – nwrecuitment@sita.co.za

While sending through the applications, note that each province has its own unique requirements. For example, Gauteng Province may only be taking interns for the Business Analysis division, while Kwazulu-Natal will be looking for Software Engineers. Therefore, ensure that you take note of your own province’s requirements, including who they are looking to hire. This helps you not to make the mistake of applying for a position that is not in line with your career goals.

How to Register for the City of Johannesburg(COJ) Account

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The long queues and system downtime at regional customer service centres are the reason getting assistance in person from the COJ is challenging.

However, since these regional customer service centres provide essential services, finding the time to visit a centre during their office hours is seen as unavoidable.

Thankfully, property owners, buyers, developers, tenants, or business owners in Johannesburg, can reduce this frustration by opening a City of Johannesburg eServices account. This account allows you to access vital services and track the progress of your requests online, making it far more convenient than spending a weekday – during office hours – being shuffled from one desk to another, only to leave with the wrong form.

Everything You Need to Know About City of Johannesburg eServices.

If you own a property in Johannesburg, having access to this eServices platform will make dealing with the city easier. The platform is available 24/7 and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. This allows you to manage rental properties or access pertinent information about your property even when you’re not in the city or can’t find the time to make it to a regional

service centre.

All the Services Offered on The COJ eServices Website.

Although the eServices website is far more convenient than going to the customer service centre, only some services offered through the centres are available online. Many of the most frequently accessed services are available online. However, given that not all services are available online, it’s important to identify the services you can use. That way, you’re able to determine when going to a regional office is necessary. The following list will help you determine what services are offered by the COJ eServices platform.

Building Plans

Draughtsmen, owners, architects, and agents can better manage building projects by tracking the progress of the building plan through the eServices platform. You can track the progress of these plans by inputting the plan’s reference number, township name, and applicant name in the search engine available on the COJ eServices platform.

If you have further queries or need further assistance, you can also email Emmanuelmu@joburg.org.za.

Rates, Water, and Lights Statements

Using the COJ eServices platform, you can access online invoices – eStatements – for your municipal rates, water, and electricity bills. This way, you have immediate access to your statements, which will be emailed to you, and you can manage your account 24/7 from anywhere in the country or world.

Property Evaluations

Property evaluations are necessary to determine the amount you pay in rates. Because of the role it plays in deciding the cost of municipal rates; users can use the COJ website to view valuations, object to valuations, and request new valuations.

COJ Maps

For information relating to zoning, transportation, and tourism, users of the City of Johannesburg eServices platform can access COJ maps. To access these maps, users do not need to have a COJ account but will need to accept the terms and conditions before viewing or accessing any maps on the database.

How do I Register with the City of Johannesburg?

If you need to access any of the services mentioned above, you must register a City of Johannesburg account. The process is simple and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete.

Step 1: Visit The COJ eServices Portal.

Begin by visiting the COJ eServices portal and navigating to the prompt to register further down the page. Alternatively, once you’re on the eServices portal, you can click ‘Login’ on the right side of the screen and then click register beneath the login button.

Step 2: Complete the Online Form

You will then be redirected to the online form where you need to input your ID number, passport number or business registration number – if you’re registering as a business. You will also need to include your initials and full name and surname, followed by your contact details, email address, and username and password.

Your username should be between 6 to 10 characters and not include any special characters.

Step 3: Submit Your Application Form

Before you can submit your application, you need to complete a captcha challenge and accept the terms and conditions. Once that is done, you can access your COJ account using your username and password.

How to Open a Municipal Account with City of Johannesburg

Unfortunately, those who have purchased a new property or are in the process of purchasing a property will not be able to view and track the property’s eStatements until they have the rates, water, and electricity registered in their name. The COJ has expressed that owners and tenants cannot inherit existing water and electricity accounts from previous owners or tenants. Therefore, to register a COJ water and electricity account in your name, follow the three-step process detailed below.

Visit the Nearest Customer Service Centre

You cannot complete or initiate this process online. Instead, you will need to visit the closest COJ regional service centre. You can find a list of regional service centres using this link. However, before you travel to any service centre, be sure you have confirmed the opening times for the day you plan to visit and know whether the service you need assistance with is accommodated at that location.

Bring Supporting Documentation

To ensure this is a once-off visit, be sure you bring along the correct supporting documentation. To help you in this regard, you can find a list of supporting documentation requirements below.

Standard Supporting Documentation:

Valid South African ID Document (and certified proof of your South African ID)
Next of Kin Details
Banking Details (proof of account)
The Deposit Amount (in cash, cheque, or EFT proof)

For Properties That Have Not Yet Been Transferred:

All the Standard Documentation
Offer to Purchase Deeds Document
Meter Number and Latest Reading

Developers or Buyers of a New Township or Sub Division:

Standard Supporting Documents
Separate Title Deed for your Stand
Certificate of Occupation
Surveyor’s General Diagram (which you can obtain from the developer)
New Township Proclamation Notice (this can be obtained from the developer)

Submit the Application for the Supply of Water and Electricity Contract

Then once you have gathered the supporting documentation, you can make your way to the customer service centre. When you’re at the customer service centre, you will need to ask for an Application for the Supply of Water and Electricity contract. Fill in this form and submit it along with the necessary supporting documentation.

If you need any assistance or have any queries, you can contact the City of Johannesburg’s Call Centre on 0860 56 28 74 or contact them on social media @CityofJoburg on Facebook and @CityofJoburgZA on Twitter.

How to Easily Pay E-toll Bill Online

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E-tolls have become a major point of controversy for Gauteng road users, even resulting in the validity and future of e-tolls being questioned by the national government. The result of those questions hasn’t led to the answers many road users were hoping to hear. Instead, it seems like e-tolls are here to stay. So, whether you agree with the system or not, paying your e-tolls is unavoidable. This guide should make complying easy.

How Do I Pay my ETAG Bill Online?

There aren’t many options to pay your ETAG in person. So, if you aren’t particularly cheerful about spending time at a Customer Service Centre or a retailer, paying your ETAG bill online is far more convenient.

If You Do Not Have An ETag:

To pay your E-Toll bill online, you will first need an ETAG. To get an ETAG, you can visit a Pick n Pay, Checkers, or Shoprite. These are the only retailers that provide ICASA-approved ETAGs.

You can also visit a SANRAL Customer Service Centre at a mall or along Gauteng’s e-roads.

You can also call 0800 726 725 between 06:00 and 22:00 to be able to pick up your ETAG at a Customer Service Centre or to have it delivered to you at an additional fee of R60.

Once you have an ETAG, you can follow the steps below that outline the procedure for those who have an ETAG.

If You Have An ETag:

Once you have an ETAG, registering to pay your e-Toll bill online is easier. You have two options: register as a top-up account or a credit card settlement account.

Register as a Top-Up Account:

If you prefer to prepay your account, you can register as a top-up account with a tag.

Start by visiting sanral.co.za/etolls.
Navigate to the Register SANRAL Account tab on the left side of the screen.
Choose the option that best describes your use for the account: business, individual, or exempt user.
Select “register as a top-up account with a tag.”
Complete the registration process using valid information. SANRAL will send you a verification email with a verification code.
Follow the instructions in the email. You will need to return to the previous screen and input your username and verification code.
Select your top-up amount and pay online.

Register as a Credit Card Settlement Account:

If you don’t want to be a top-up user, you can also create a settlement account.

Visit Sanral.co.za/etolls.
Select Register SANRAL Account on the left side of the screen.
Select if you’re registering as an individual, business, or exempt user.
Then click the third option (Credit Card Settlement Account)
Fill in your email, username, password, and validation code.
Follow the instructions contained in the verification email sent to the email address you’ve input.
Pay with your credit card online.

SANRAL ETAG EFT Banking Details:

If you decide to prepay your account by EFT, you should use the following information or navigate to your bank’s list of public beneficiaries and select SANRAL.

Bank: FNB

Beneficiary: SANRAL (TCH)

Branch: Corporate Banking

Branch code: 250655

Account number: 62280212607

Reference: Your customer identification card number

How To Pay An Overdue ETAG Bill

The Violations Processing Centre (VPC) is responsible for processing and collecting overdue e-toll bills. If you have not paid your e-tolls in the seven day grace period, you will become an alternative user. An alternative user doesn’t benefit from any discounts – time of day, frequent user, etc. – and cannot apply for any exemptions.

To make it easier for these users to make payments and avoid additional penalties, SANRAL has created an online portal to view and pay your e-toll arrears. So, if you have been travelling through Gauteng’s e-tolls but have failed to register an ETAG or have an ETAG but have not maintained payments, you will need to pay your overdue fees. To pay these fees, follow the guide below.

Visit The VPC Portal

If you know you have an overdue e-toll bill, start by visiting the VPC Website.

Login or Create An Account

You will then be required to log in to an existing account or create a new one. If you’ve accessed the VPC before, use your VPC Account number and password to log in. If you haven’t accessed the VPC before, select “Create Login Details” on the left side of the screen.

You will then be required to input your Vehicle License Number, ID number, passport number, or business registration number, and either your email address or cell phone number.

You will be sent a validation code via email in addition to instructions. Follow those instructions and input the validation code when necessary.

Make a Payment Using Your Reference Number

Once you have created an account and logged in, you will see the most recent statement of account according to the VPC. If you don’t want to dispute these charges, you will be able to use the payment reference number found on the Violations Processing Centre invoice or statement.

Using that reference, you can either pay your account at an FNB ATM, EFT, or online using the VPC website.

If you’re paying online, you can navigate to the payment section and enter your credit card details. However, if you choose to pay by EFT, you can use the details below to make a payment.

VPC EFT Details:

Account Name: SANRAL (VPC) [violation fees]

Bank: First National Bank

Account Number: 62280209167

Branch Code: 250655

Branch: Corporate Banking

Reference: As indicated on your VPC Invoice or Statement

What Happens if I Don’t Pay E-Tolls?

If you’re hesitant or resistant to paying e-tolls, you may want to reconsider that stance. The penalties for non-payment are harsh, and the discounts offered are more significant if you decide to pay on time or within the seven day grace period.

According to SANRAL, if you don’t pay your e-tolls – and don’t make arrangements to pay arrears – you will go through the legal process for non-payment, which may result in criminal prosecution.

After receiving notice from the VPC of overdue e-toll bills, the VPC will begin the debt collection process. If you do not respond or make arrangements during this time, you will receive a final demand notice, and the VPC will hand your account over to the prosecuting authority. From there, you will either be prosecuted according to the Criminal Procedure Act or the AARTO.

If you have any additional questions regarding e-tolls, you can contact SANRAL’s e-toll department on 0800 726 725 or consider emailing info@sa-etoll.co.za. You can also use this online calculator to determine how much you should prepay on your account to ensure you’re benefiting from discounts.

Provident Fund: Step by Step Guide to Claim Fund

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If you’ve worked at several employers or have worked for many years, you likely have quite a bit of money in one or more provident funds. That’s because, by law, your employers are obliged to make some contribution to your pension, and many employers choose to use a provident fund as it is a more flexible option compared to a pension fund. One thing that makes it flexible is that you can withdraw from the pension fund before retirement; with certain conditions.

Can I Withdraw Funds from My Provident Fund?

Prior to changes that took effect in April 2022, you could withdraw the entire provident fund as one lump sum. However, to ensure more South Africans have money saved up for retirement, the government now only allows you to withdraw 25% of your pension fund contribution before retirement, with the remaining 75% having to go toward another retirement investment.

That said, if you do want to withdraw from your Provident fund, there is one condition: you must no longer be employed by the employer that was giving the contribution. This means to access your provident fund from a previous employer, you must have resigned, have been retrenched, or have been dismissed. If you meet these conditions, you can follow the steps outlined below to claim your provident fund.

Step by Step Guide to Claim from Provident Fund

Since companies contribute to different funds, the contact numbers and website details – even the withdrawal process – will change. However, the step by step process detailed below should remain the same and help you claim your provident fund.

Step 1: Contact the HR Department of the Previous Employer

If you have worked at one or more companies before but have not claimed from your provident fund, you should start by creating a list of your former employers. From there, you will need to get in touch with the HR department of each employer to request information about the provident fund they were contributing to while you were employed. In some instances, you can make a withdrawal request through the HR department. However, now that you have the information about the provident fund, you can claim directly from the fund.

Step 2: Request a Withdrawal Form

If the money is in your previous employer’s retirement fund, you can request a withdrawal form directly from them. However, if the money has been transferred to a third-party administrator, once you have received their contact information, you will need to approach them to request a withdrawal form.

Step 3: Provide Relevant Supporting Documentation

If the fund was managed by the company where you were employed, you will likely only need to submit a certified copy of your ID alongside the withdrawal form to access the funds. However, if it is held by another company, you may also need to provide other supporting documentation. This can include proof that the company that contributed to the fund no longer employs you, and if you want to transfer any money to another retirement fund, the details of the new retirement fund.

Step 4: Wait 14 to 21 Days For Funds to Reflect

If your taxes are in order (you don’t have any outstanding taxes), your provident fund should be paid out in 14 to 21 business days after you have submitted all relevant information and your request has been approved.

How Much Tax Do I Pay on a Provident Fund Withdrawal?

Before you start making plans on the amount you could potentially receive from provident fund withdrawals, remember you have to pay SARS. The money you may have saved in these funds will not be the windfall you expect it to be because it has to be taxed.

How much tax you pay on your provident fund withdrawal will depend on: how much you’re withdrawing at that time and how much you’ve withdrawn in the past.

Since SARS shows no distinction between retirement funds – provident fund, pension fund, preservation fund, or retirement annuities – any withdrawals you’ve made from any fund contributing to your retirement will be totalled to determine how much you’ll pay in taxes.

Keeping that in mind, the tax you’ll pay is as follows:

Withdrawals Up to R25 000: 0% in taxes
Withdrawals above R25 001 and below R660 000: 18% in taxable income above R25 000.
Withdrawals above R660 001 and below R990 000: R114 300 + 27% of taxable income above R660 000.
Withdrawals above R990 001: R203 000 + 36% of taxable income above R990,000.

Another aspect to consider when withdrawing from your provident fund is that you may also be subject to fees from the company managing the fund, in addition to the taxes.

Steps To Take To Lodge a Complaint Against a Provident Fund

If you’re unable to withdraw or feel there are irregularities with your withdrawal or management of your provident fund, you have some recourse. The Pension Funds Adjudicator, which was established according to section 30B of the Pension Funds Act, 24 of 1956, investigates and resolves any irregularities. However, to make a complaint with the PFA, the fund must either have been mismanaged, made decisions outside of its powers, that the employer has not followed the rules of the fund, or a dispute (based on fact or law) has arisen between the fund and yourself.

If your complaint meets any of the criteria mentioned above, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Gather Supporting Documentation

The first step you should take before laying a complaint is to gather supporting documentation and evidence. Doing this will substantiate your claims and ensure you have a speedy resolution.

Step 2: Make a Complaint to Your Employer or the Fund in Writing

Once you have gathered your supporting documentation, but before you can complain to the PFA, you will need to make a formal complaint – in writing – to your employer or the fund. This complaint must have been made – and not resolved – at least 30 days before approaching the PFA.

Step 3: Submit a Complaint Through the PFA

If 30 days have elapsed and no resolution has been made, you can now submit a complaint to the PFA.

To do this, you can visit the PFA website and scroll down to ‘Lodge a Complaint‘. You will then need to select whether you want to submit an online form or a manual form. If you select an online form, you will be redirected to a complaint form, which you need to fill in.

As part of your complaint, you will need to provide your personal details, your previous employers’ details, details about the fund, and proof and documentation relating to your complaint.

From there, the PFA can begin investigating.

Before you decide to claim from your provident fund, be sure that you’ve weighed up all your options and are coming to a financially sound decision. A decision that won’t negatively affect your retirement or future. While you may need the money temporarily, the long term ramifications of not having enough in retirement savings when you retire can be even more severe.

How to Check and Block WASP from Stealing Your Airtime

Admin

If you are like the millions of South Africans with a phone, you have probably received an SMS advertising some “amazing” service. These “services” usually come at an exorbitant daily fee upwards of R3 a day and can be the culprit behind what’s taking your airtime.

Even if there’s no daily or weekly charge, you may be surprised that the USSD numbers you’re dialling to enter a competition have spectacularly high rates. Nevertheless, if your airtime is depleting without warning, it could be WASP stealing your airtime. Below you will find out how to determine if it’s WASP and what to do about it.

What is WASP?

Wireless Application Service Providers (WASP) are companies that render services like USSD, bulk SMS, and MMS in addition to interactive voice response services. These WASPs allow mobile carriers and other companies to create interactive services that don’t require data to access, making it available on all cell phones, not just smartphones.

How To Check if WASP is Stealing Your Airtime

Before you decide that WASP is to blame for your suspiciously high bill or the reason why you never have airtime, consider some alternative potential airtime thieves. This could include out-of-bundle usage from apps running in the background and sending messages to premium-rate numbers. But, if you still suspect it’s WASP, there are a few ways you can be 100% sure.

Call Your Mobile Carrier

Start by calling your mobile carrier. Then once you’ve gotten through to the call centre, ask them what is taking your airtime, if it’s data charges, WASP, or something else.

You can also ask them if there’s a company charging you and if they have the name of the company and the contact details.

If the reason your airtime is depleted is WASP-related, you can also ask them to cancel any subscriptions while you’re on the phone call. Be sure you receive an SMS confirmation informing you that your subscription has been cancelled.

Check Your SMS History

If you don’t want to call your mobile carrier, you can also complete this DIY process. Click on the search bar in your SMS app and search for the term “welcome,” as WASP-related content will often send a welcome message after you’ve joined the subscription service. Alternatively, you can search for terms like “subscription.”

While you’re searching, pay close attention to the services you’ve – unknowingly – signed up for and if there are any instructions on how to cancel your subscription.

If nothing pops up, someone who may have had the number you have now, before, may have signed up to WASP services. In which case, you can still cancel your subscription using the guide below.

How To Unsubscribe From WASP

Once you have confirmed that it’s WASP services taking your airtime, you can follow the instructions below to unsubscribe from WASP. The steps outlined depend on the network you use.

Vodacom

On Vodacom, SMS “Stop All” to 31050. If you have unintentionally been subscribed to any WASP products, you will receive a message confirming that you have been unsubscribed from any services.

Given that SMSing 31050 is a premium service, you can also dial *135# and select option 11 (Next) and then option 4 (Services). From there, you will need to select no.9 to cancel your subscriptions.

MTN

To unsubscribe from WASP services on MTN, you need to dial *141*5#. Select option 2 (content services), then click on manage content services and follow the prompts to cancel subscriptions.

Cell C

To unsubscribe from WASP, you can dial *133*1# as this will block future and current billing.

Telkom

To unsubscribe from WASP products on Telkom, you will either need to use the app or contact Telkom.

Using the app, you can block all WASP products. Begin by navigating to My Products, then click on Manage, select Protect My Number, and set it to “on.”

Alternatively, you can call 180 and follow the prompts.

How To Ensure You’re Not A Victim of WASP Again

Even after you’ve taken measures to stop being a victim of this airtime thief, unsurprisingly, you could still receive ads from your service provider promoting some type of service to you, whether that’s WhatsApp status ideas, Bible verses, or financial advice.

And since these ads come from different numbers each time, blocking the number isn’t an option.

Block Specific Words

If you begin to notice a pattern in the messages you receive, like a number you should dial or a unique phrase, consider blocking those words. This way, you guarantee that you do not filter necessary text messages as a result.

For example, you could block “/day” as many messages end with the subscription amount or the term “CONGRATS” as these are frequently used by these pesky advertisers.

Be Sure You Share Information with Other Phone Users

If a child or elderly relative uses the phone, make them aware of these advertising schemes. Since some of these messages don’t advertise the costs involved, encourage them to not participate in any SMS advertising as it could be WASP related, especially ads offering prizes or text-based services.

Lodge a Complaint

Many WASP services have registered to WASPA, an association designed to keep the industry accountable and transparent. If you suspect that the WASP services you have subscribed to are non-compliant, start by reviewing WASPA’s code o f conduct. If it is confirmed that the WASP services are non-compliant, you should consider lodging a complaint with WASPA. While this may not block future billing, it may assist in getting a refund or ensuring appropriate action is taken against the service provider. However, keep in mind that this is a voluntary association which means not every WASP has a membership.

Also Read: How to Claim From the Road Accident Fund in South Africa

Of course, if it’s not WASP, you should consider purchasing data bundles and turning off out-of-bundle usage. That way, instead of your phone using airtime when you’re out of data, you will be forced to purchase more data. This works well whether you’re on a contract or prepaid service.

How To Register for Supplementary Exams, Re-mark and Re-check

Admin

The results from your final matric exams are crucial to success later in life. Many universities and colleges may have provisionally accepted you but will only admit you based on your matric results. For many matriculants, the final matric exams can be fraught with difficulties. Some students have to deal with personal issues that affect their studies. But for 2020 and 2022 matriculants, there were additional difficulties because of the pandemic, which may have affected their results. In such instances, students should register for supplementary exams.

However, if you have only missed a bachelor pass on one or two subjects, or if you think there may be discrepancies between the exam and your results, you should consider re-marking and re-checking your papers, both of which you need to register to complete.

In this guide, you’ll receive step-by-step instructions on how to register for re-checking and re-marking your matric results, in addition to a step-by-step guide to register for supplementary exams.

How To Register for re-marking and re-checking

Papers are marked manually, which means discrepancies can occur that may affect your overall results. If you think this is the case with one of your papers, or you believe your marks aren’t a true reflection of your results, you should consider re-marking and re-checking.

Step 1: Determine The Closing Date

You can only apply to have your papers re-marked or re-checked for a limited time after the Department releases the results. For this reason, the Department of Basic Education advises learners to get their statement of results from the school or centre where they wrote their exams. Then, if they feel there are any discrepancies, to request a review within 30 days. This means that the sooner you apply to have your papers re-marked or re-checked, the better. But, if for some reason you can’t complete it immediately, you should find out what the closing date for applications for re-marking and re-checking are, as any late applications will be denied.

Step 2: Visit The eServices

Although you can apply to have your exam papers re-marked and re-checked at the school or education district office, using the instructions at the back of your statement of results, you can also apply online.

Applying to have your matric papers re-checked and re-marked online is a convenient solution. If you decide to take this route, you will access the application form online through the eServices platform.

Step 3: Register For An Account

After you have visited the eServices platform, you need to register your account. Click on “Sign Up/Register” in the navigation menu. You will be redirected to a registration form.

Consent to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Now, input your details, including your ID number. After you have filled in all your details, you will receive a one time pin to complete registration.

Then you can sign in using your ID number and password.

Step 4: Select The Subjects You Want to Re-check or Re-mark

Once you’ve signed in, you will need to navigate to Matric Services and select the Re-Check/Re-mark Tab. From there, you will see a list of subjects you can submit to have re-marked or re-checked. Choose the ones you need.

Step 5: Pay The Fee

Now that you’ve selected the papers you want to have re-checked or re-marked, you’ll be required to pay a fee.

The fee for re-marking and re-checking are as follows but may increase annually:

Re-marking: R120

Re-checking: R29

Viewing Scripts: R234 (This applies if you first want to see your scripts from the exam paper.)

Sometimes the Department of Basic Education may enable students who attended no-fee schools to forgo the fees, in which case you’ll need to apply for this exemption.

Step 6: Accept The Declaration

The final step is to accept the declaration. The declaration confirms that the information that you’ve provided is correct.

Be sure to double-check your details before you submit your declaration, as you cannot change the information once you’ve submitted it.

Step 7: Check Status and Print Letter

Before your papers have been re-marked and re-checked, the DBE will communicate the status of your application via email. Then, once your exam papers are re-marked and re-checked, you’ll be able to print out the Result Letter the DBE sends you via email.

How To Register for Supplementary Exams

If you didn’t pass matric because your results weren’t as expected, or you want to improve your results to get a bachelor pass, you need to know how to register for supplementary exams.

Supplementary exams are a second chance to write your matric exams during May/June of the following year. You can decide to rewrite as many subjects as you want to with the higher of the two marks appearing on your final results.

If this interests you, you should follow this step-by-step guide detailing how to register for supplementary exams.

Step 1: Determine If You’re Eligible To Write Supplementary Exams

Only students who meet the conditions of entry can participate in the supplementary exams hosted by the Department of Basic Education. If students aren’t eligible, they will have to register to rewrite matric at a FET college or use a Public Adult Education Centre. Therefore, it’s essential that you first determine if you’re eligible before applying.

Below you can find the eligibility criteria for supplementary exams.

Candidates are only eligible to register to participate in the supplementary exams if:

They are under 21 years old.
Want to rewrite subjects which they took in the previous November examination.
Have been absent from an exam for a valid reason (i.e. medically unfit, death in the immediate family, etc.) You will need to provide proof of your reason.
Participated in the previous November examination, but want to improve some of your overall achievement status or the achievement of one subject.
Did not attend an exam for reasons other than illness/death in the family. You will need to provide a written reference from the principal endorsing your eligibility to participate in the supplementary exams.

Step 2: Know The Closing Dates

If you are eligible to participate in the supplementary exams, you should familiarise yourself with the closing dates. Often, the Department of Basic Education will announce the closing date for supplementary exams when the results are released, these dates will usually be a month after the results are released.

Step 3: Visit Your Local Education District Office or Register Online

If you’re planning to apply to write the supplementary exams offline, you should visit your Local Education District Office. From there, you’ll be given an application form to complete. You can hand it back in after you’ve filled it in.

However, you can also complete the process online by visiting the government’s eServices website.

Register for an account – if you don’t have one – and then select matric services, followed by supplementary exams. Once you have been redirected to the supplementary exam portal, complete the form, upload any supporting documents, and submit the information.

The DBE will then be in contact regarding the status of your registration for supplementary exams, or you can log in to your account later and check your status.

Step 4: Know Your Exam Dates

Once you’ve submitted your application – and it’s been approved – memorise your exam dates and locations, so you don’t miss this opportunity.

Also Read: Applying for Replacement Certificate: Lost or Damaged Matric Certificate

Step 5: Prepare For Exams

Although preparing for the exams is not a necessary step to register for supplementary exams, it is the best way to ensure you don’t let this second chance go to waste. Therefore, once you’ve submitted your form, start preparing for subjects you’ve applied to rewrite. Keep in mind, that you will also need to pay a fee for every subject you choose to rewrite and wasting the opportunity also means money wasted.

If you have any questions about supplementary exams or re-marking exam papers, consider reaching out to the Department of Education. You can call the call centre on 0800 202 933 or email callcentre@dbe.gov.za. You can also call the switchboard on 012 357 3000 or find the number for your provincial Departments of Education by following this link.

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