On average, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) in South Africa aims to issue a Smart ID card within 2-3 weeks after the application is submitted.1 However, this is an average and processing times can vary significantly due to various factors, including the specific Home Affairs office, the volume of applications, and whether there are any issues with your application.2

If 4 months have passed since you applied for your South African national ID and you haven’t heard anything from the Department of Home Affairs, you should take the following steps:

1. Check Your Application Status
Before you do anything else, you should try to track your application. The DHA provides several ways to do this:

SMS Service: You can send an SMS with the word “ID” followed by your ID number to 32551.3 You will receive an SMS back with the status of your application.4 Note that there is a small fee for this service

eHomeAffairs Website: If you applied online through the eHomeAffairs portal, you can log in to your profile and check the status of your application there.
DHA Call Centre: You can call the DHA’s official call center to inquire about your application status. The number is 0800 60 11 90.5 Be prepared to provide your ID number and any reference numbers you received during your application.

2. Visit the Home Affairs Office
If the online or SMS tracking methods don’t provide a clear answer, or if they indicate that your ID is ready for collection, the next step is to physically visit the Home Affairs office where you applied.

Go in person: This is often the most effective way to resolve a delayed application.
Bring your documents: Take all the documents you used for your application, including your temporary ID (if you received one), your proof of payment, and any receipts or reference numbers.

Speak to a supervisor: If the general counter staff cannot assist you, ask to speak to a supervisor or the office manager. Explain your situation calmly and provide them with all the necessary details.

3. Escalate the Matter
If visiting the office is unsuccessful, or if you continue to face delays, you may need to escalate the matter to a higher authority within the Department of Home Affairs.

Contact a regional or provincial office: You can try to get contact details for the regional or provincial Home Affairs office and send them an email or call them to report your issue.
Contact the DHA’s head office: In more extreme cases, you may need to reach out to the DHA’s head office in Pretoria.
Consider a formal complaint: If all else fails, you can lodge a formal complaint with the Department of Home Affairs or the Public Protector’s office. This should be a last resort.

Important Things to Remember

Temporary ID: If you require an ID for urgent matters (like writing exams or banking), you can apply for a Temporary Identification Certificate at any Home Affairs office.6 This is a temporary document that proves your identity while you wait for your Smart ID card.
Errors in Application: The most common reasons for significant delays are errors in the application, such as mismatched information, unclear photos, or missing documents. The DHA may have tried to contact you but was unsuccessful. It is crucial to ensure all your information is correct before submitting your application.
Online vs. In-person: While the eHomeAffairs system is designed to be more efficient, the processing still involves the same backend systems. Delays can occur regardless of whether you applied online or in person.

Hello Michella,

Which exact steps you follow depends on what order you want (e.g. a Protection Order, Maintenance Order, High-Court interdict/urgent relief, small-claims matter, deceased-estate documents) and which court division handles it. Below are simple, practical step-by-step instructions + the official links to use.

Decide which court and what kind of order (High Court vs Magistrates’ Court; protection order, maintenance, urgent interdict, default judgment, etc.). The rules and forms differ by court.

Check whether the court accepts electronic filing for that type of matter.

High Court rolling out Court Online (e-filing / digital case management) for superior courts.
judiciary.org.za

Certain orders (protection orders, maintenance, deceased-estate matters) are available through the Department of Justice’s DOJ Online Services.
Justice

Download the correct forms / draft your papers (e.g. Notice of Motion + Founding Affidavit for an application; or a J101 for maintenance; Form 06 for protection orders). Make a signed, sworn affidavit if required.

Prepare a completed PDF bundle: index, notice of motion, founding affidavit (sworn), annexures (evidence), draft order — all scanned/combined into PDFs. (Court Online and DOJ portals expect neat PDFs.)
judiciary.org.za

Register / log in to the right online portal (or follow email instructions):

For High Court matters use Court Online (upload documents; request a hearing date).

For Protection/Maintenance/Deceased Estate matters use DOJ Online Services (dojonline.justice.gov.za).

Submit the filing and pay fees (if required). If you can’t pay online, the registrar will give instructions (bank transfer reference / pay at court). If unsure, ask the court registrar.

Serve the other party the documents (sheriff, registered post or as permitted by the rules — electronic service may be allowed in certain circumstances). Keep proof of service.

Attend the hearing or wait for the judge’s emailed order (urgent applications are often communicated by email and some courts will upload orders electronically). For urgent matters there are special procedures and you must set out why the matter is urgent in your affidavit.

If anything is confusing, contact the portal support or the court registrar (official contacts below).

Useful official links (go-to)

Court Online (High Courts e-filing / info & FAQ) — how to upload an application, “Application for Hearing Date” option:
https://www.judiciary.org.za/index.php/court-online
.

DOJ Online services (Protection Orders / Maintenance / Deceased Estates etc.):
https://dojonline.justice.gov.za
(and DoJ services page).

Protection order form (Form 06 J480) and guidance:
https://www.justice.gov.za/forms/dva/dv-Form06-J480.pdf
.

Uniform Rules of Court (High Court rules) — official PDF (useful for what documents to file and how):
https://www.saflii.org/images/superiorcourts/Uniform%20Rules%20of%20Court%20%5BF%5D.pdf
.

Magistrates’ Courts Rules (PDF):
https://www.saflii.org/images/magistratescourts/MCR%20%5BR%5D.pdf
.

Short checklist of what you’ll normally need

Court name + correct division (city / registry).

Right form(s) or a Notice of Motion + Founding affidavit (sworn).

Clear, chronological annexures (evidence).

A draft order (wording of relief you want).

Proof of identity (ID/passport).

PDF copies of everything, signed and dated.

Payment method for filing fee (ask registrar).

Proof of service after serving the other party.

(Forms and sample guidance: see the DOJ “Forms” pages and High Court forms link above.)

Urgent applications — extra notes

If it’s urgent (e.g. to stop imminent harm), you must explain and prove urgency in your founding affidavit (why normal timeframes will cause irreparable harm). There are specific urgent-application procedures and courts have used email/e-filing channels to receive urgent papers. Read the Court Online urgent-application guidance.

Who to contact for help

Court Online support (High Courts): CourtOnline@judiciary.org.za
(see Court Online guidance).

DOJ online services support: DojDEOnlineSupport@justice.gov.za
. See the DOJ services page for videos and registration guidance.

Local court registrar (phone or visit) — they will confirm whether your matter can be filed electronically and tell you payment/service options. (Use contact links on justice.gov.za.)
Justice

Dear Maureen,

Thank you for reaching out, and I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’re experiencing with the UIF online application system.

From what you’ve described, it sounds like the system has incorrect or outdated employer information linked to your ID or work history. This sometimes happens when employer declarations submitted to UIF are incorrect, or if there’s a system mismatch.

Here’s what I recommend you do:

Step-by-Step to Resolve:
Do not attempt the third application attempt just yet ; as the system may lock you out.

Contact the UIF Call Centre immediately and explain your situation:

UIF Toll-Free Number: 0800 030 007

Operating hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 16:00

Ask them to verify and correct the employer records associated with your ID.

You may also email the UIF support team with screenshots (if possible) and a detailed description:

📧Online Support Email: ufiling@labour.gov.za

If you’re close to a Department of Labour office, visiting in person can sometimes speed up the resolution — especially if you’re at risk of being locked out of the system.

Please keep a copy of any emails you send, and try to speak to a UIF consultant directly over the phone if possible they can manually reset or guide you through the correction.

Let me know if you need help drafting the email to UIF or finding your nearest Labour Centre.

Wishing you the best of luck with your claim

Telkom South Africa provides several ways to check your balance, including any outstanding emergency airtime debt.

Here’s how you can typically find out:

1. USSD Code (Quickest Method):

*Dial 188# on your Telkom mobile phone and press the call button.
Follow the on-screen prompts to check your airtime balance. This should also show any outstanding emergency airtime.
2. My Telkom App:

Download the My Telkom App from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Log in to your account (or register if you haven’t already).
Once logged in, you should see an overview of your account, including your airtime and data balances, and likely any outstanding emergency airtime. You can also view your usage history.
3. Telkom Web Self-Service Portal:

Visit the official Telkom South Africa website (www.telkom.co.za).
Register or log in to the “Web Self-Service Portal.”
You’ll be able to view your usage history, balance breakdowns, and any outstanding bills.
4. WhatsApp Self-Service:

Send a WhatsApp message to 0811 601 700.
Follow the prompts to access your usage information and check balances.
How Emergency Airtime Repayment Works:
Telkom’s Emergency Top Up service works on a “pay later” basis. When you next recharge your airtime, Telkom will automatically deduct the emergency airtime amount you borrowed, plus a small service fee (often R1.10).

Example: If you borrowed R10 emergency airtime and recharge with R20, Telkom will deduct R10 (emergency airtime) + R1.10 (service fee) = R11.10 from your R20 recharge. Your remaining airtime balance would then be R8.90.
If you recharge with a lower denomination than the outstanding amount, the full amount of your recharge will be deducted until the full value of the emergency airtime (plus service fee) has been recovered.
If you have any difficulty checking your balance using these methods or need further clarification, you can contact Telkom customer service:

From a Telkom mobile phone: Dial 081180
From any other phone: Dial 10210 or 0800 125 011

Hello Anton,
Regarding the immediate mandatory biometric verification starting May 5, 2025:

It appears that your mother, ACL Combrink, with ID number 400329 0032 085, is likely NOT immediately required to undergo the new biometric verification process starting on May 5, 2025.

The SASSA announcement clearly states that this new biometric enrolment is mandatory for:

New clients who use alternative forms of identification other than the standard 13-digit South African ID number.
Existing clients undergoing reviews or changes to their personal information.
Those applying for and receiving grants on behalf of others.
Since your mother uses her standard 13-digit South African ID number and has not changed her address or bank account details, she falls under the category of “Existing grant recipients using their standard 13-digit South African ID number who will not be affected until they are required to change their details.”

However, please keep the following important points in mind:

Future Verification: While she may not be affected by this specific biometric enrolment at this time, SASSA conducts ongoing verification processes to ensure the integrity of the grant system. It is possible that she may be required to undergo some form of verification in the future.
Importance of Accurate Information: It remains crucial that your mother’s personal information, including her address and bank account details, is accurate and up-to-date with SASSA. If any of these details change in the future, she will likely be required to participate in the verification process at that time.
Official SASSA Communication: SASSA is responsible for communicating directly with beneficiaries regarding any required verification processes. Please ensure that your mother stays informed through official SASSA channels for any future announcements.
Recommendation:

To be absolutely certain about your mother’s specific situation and to address the initial concern about the general reconfirmation deadline (April 30, 2025), it is still highly recommended that you contact SASSA directly. You can use the following contact methods:

SASSA Toll-Free Helpline: 0800 60 10 11
SASSA WhatsApp Number: 082 046 8553
Email: grantenquiries@sassa.gov.za
Visit the nearest SASSA office.
When you contact SASSA, provide your mother’s full name and ID number and inquire specifically about her requirement for any verification processes, considering both the previous general deadline and the new biometric enrolment announcement. This will provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information directly from SASSA.

Hello VasAir,

​Upgrading your Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading in South Africa involves a systematic process to demonstrate your company’s capacity to undertake larger projects. Here’s a step-by-step guide to assist VasAir in navigating this process:​

1. Understand the CIDB Grading System: The CIDB grading ranges from Grade 1 to Grade 9, with higher grades allowing for participation in more substantial projects. Each grade has specific financial and experiential criteria that must be met.​

2. Assess Eligibility for Upgrade: Evaluate your company’s track record and financial standing to determine if you meet the requirements for a higher grade. This includes reviewing completed projects and financial statements to ensure they align with the desired grade’s criteria.​

3. Gather Required Documentation: Prepare the following essential documents for your upgrade application:​

Completed CIDB Grade 2–9 Application Form: Ensure all sections are filled out accurately.​

Company Registration Documents: Provide the latest Memorandum of Incorporation (COR 14.3) or CK document.​

Certified Copies of Directors’ Identity Documents: These should be clear, color copies, certified within the current date.​

Valid Tax Clearance Certificate Pin: Ensure your tax affairs are in order, and the certificate is valid for at least 21 working days from the application date.​

Construction Contracts and Completion Certificates: Include contracts and completion certificates for projects completed within the past five years, especially those exceeding R130,000. Ensure these documents highlight the labor component and project scope.​

Financial Statements: Provide a complete set of financial statements. If audited financials are not available, attach SARS VAT 201 forms and VAT Statement of Account, or stamped business bank statements for turnover verification.​

Bank Statements: Submit bank statements showing payments received for completed projects, ensuring they are stamped and match the project descriptions.​

4. Complete the Application Process: After assembling all necessary documents, submit your application to the CIDB. Ensure that all information is accurate and that the application form is thoroughly completed.​

5. Consider Professional Assistance: Given the detailed nature of the application process, you might benefit from consulting with CIDB registration specialists. These professionals can assist in preparing and submitting your application, ensuring compliance with all requirements.​

By following these steps and ensuring all documentation is in order, VasAir can effectively pursue an upgrade in its CIDB grading, thereby qualifying for larger and more lucrative construction projects.

Hello, You left out your school or college. Can you let us know which student schools PIN you need to set ?

Applications for the 2025 bursary opened on 10 October 2024 and closed on 26 January 2025