Africa-Press – South-Africa. More than 600,000 successful applications were recorded during the 2026 online admissions application period for grade 1 and grade 8.
This milestone was reached on Tuesday, just less than two weeks after the system opened for applications on July 24.
“As of 2pm on Tuesday, the system had recorded a total of 600,936 applications, comprising 254,251 for grade 1 and 346,685 for grade 8,” Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said.
He said parents and guardians who have not yet applied should visit www.gdeadmissions.gov.za before the application period closes on August 29.
“After registering, parents must complete the five-step application process, as incomplete applications will not be considered for placement.”
Applicants must upload certified copies of the required documents online or submit them in person to each selected school within seven days of applying.
“If uploaded online, documents only need to be submitted once, as all selected schools will be able to view them.”
Parents are advised to apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools to increase the likelihood of successful placement.
“It is also essential to provide a valid cellphone number, as all communication, including placement offers, will be sent via SMS. Parents are urged to keep all SMS communication regarding their application.”
Mabona said applicants with complete submissions will begin receiving placement offers from October 16.
To accommodate parents without access to digital resources, the department has made support available at all Gauteng state schools and through 81 decentralised walk-in centres across the province.
“The phenomenal number of applications we’ve received is a demonstration of the trust parents place in Gauteng’s education system,” said the province’s education MEC Matome Chiloane.
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