The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has announced that over 213,000 applications were submitted on the opening day of the 2026 online admissions for Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners.
The application portal, which officially opened at 8:00 am on Thursday, witnessed an overwhelming 78,645 submissions within the first hour alone—comprising 32,584 applications for Grade 1 and 46,061 for Grade 8. The department attributed the record-breaking turnout to heightened public awareness and improved access to digital services.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, officially launched the exercise at the YMCA Centre in Ga-Rankuwa, where he also helped some parents navigate the process. He praised parents and guardians for their commitment, noting that some had attempted to access the platform as early as 5:00 am. However, this early activity caused temporary delays in system access.
“We encourage parents to adhere to the official opening times in the future to avoid unnecessary disruptions,” Chiloane stated, as quoted by Sunday World.
Parents and guardians are required to complete their applications at www.gdeadmissions.gov.za and either upload supporting documents online or submit them directly to the schools applied to within seven school days of completing the application.
The application window will remain open until 29 August 2025, allowing ample time for latecomers to participate in the admission process. To ensure inclusivity, the department has set up 81 walk-in centres across Gauteng, in addition to support available at district offices.
Chiloane described the first-day figures as “a monumental achievement,” expressing the department’s continued commitment to digitizing education access in the province.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
