The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has reported a strong start to the 2027 online school admissions process, with more than 210,000 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications submitted within the first four hours of the system opening.
The online admissions portal officially opened at 8:00 on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, and by midday the department had already received 210,055 successful applications, highlighting the continued demand for school placements across Gauteng.
Thousands Of Parents Applied Before The System Opened
Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Lebogang Maile, welcomed the strong response from parents and guardians, saying it demonstrates continued confidence in the province's online admissions system.
“The system went live at 08:00 on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, and by 12:00 noon, the Gauteng Department of Education had already received 210 055 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications, demonstrating the continued confidence that parents and guardians have in the Province's Online Admissions System,” he said.
The department revealed that demand was already high before applications officially opened, with 12,058 parents joining the online queue between 7:30 am and 7:59 am in anticipation of the system going live.
According to the MEC, the application process has run smoothly.
“The application process has since proceeded smoothly without any major technical incidents,” he said.
Highest Demand Recorded In Ekurhuleni South And Tshwane West
The GDE said the highest number of applications has so far been recorded in the Ekurhuleni South and Tshwane West education districts.
Among high schools, the most sought-after schools include:
- Hoërskool Langenhoven (Tshwane West) – 1,168 applications.
- Alberton High School – 1,098 applications.
- Hoërskool Akasia – 917 applications.
At primary school level, the schools receiving the highest number of applications are:
- Rachel de Beer Primary School – 474 applications.
- Laerskool Akasia – 461 applications.
- Laerskool Voortrekker Eeufees – 411 applications.
Gauteng's Growing School System
As South Africa's largest provincial education system, Gauteng currently educates more than 2.4 million learners across 2,111 public ordinary schools.
These include:
- 1,417 primary schools.
- 694 secondary schools.
- 37 Schools of Specialisation located across the province's 15 education districts.
The department said learner enrolment has continued to increase, with more than 23,000 additional learners entering the system over the past year. This growth is equivalent to building approximately 19 new schools, each accommodating around 1,200 learners.
Improvements To The 2027 Online Admissions System
Since its introduction in 2015, the Gauteng Online Admissions System has replaced long queues outside schools with a digital application process aimed at making school admissions fairer, more transparent and more efficient.
The department said approximately 400,000 entry-grade learners were successfully placed during the 2025 admissions cycle, with learner placements increasing every year over the past decade.
Several new improvements have been introduced for the 2027 admissions cycle, including:
- Improved system stability during periods of high demand.
- Faster application processing.
- Enhanced system functionality.
- Improved document verification.
- Automated SMS reminders and notifications.
- The ability for parents to view each school's Language of Learning and Teaching, Home Language and First Additional Language options before submitting applications.
According to the department, these enhancements were developed following consultations with parents, school governing body associations, principals, district officials and provincial call centre agents.
Parents Urged To Apply Early
Maile encouraged parents and guardians to submit their applications as early as possible rather than waiting until the closing date.
“The MEC urges all parents and guardians not to wait until the closing days of the application period. Applying early allows sufficient time to upload supporting documents, resolve any outstanding matters and improve the likelihood of a seamless placement process,” he said.
Parents are reminded to complete all five application steps, apply to a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools, and upload or submit all certified supporting documents within seven days of submitting an application.
Department Warns Parents About Admission Scams
The Gauteng Department of Education has also warned parents to be cautious of scammers who falsely claim they can guarantee school placements in exchange for payment.
“The Department further cautions parents against fraudsters and scammers who falsely claim to represent the Gauteng Department of Education or promise guaranteed school placements in exchange for money. Online Admissions is completely free of charge. No individual, company or organisation is authorised to charge parents or influence learner placements,” the MEC said.
Parents who require assistance with their applications can visit any of the department's 48 decentralised walk-in centres, 15 district offices, the provincial head office or public schools across Gauteng, where trained officials are available to provide support at no cost.
The 2027 Gauteng Online Admissions application period will close at midnight on Friday, 4 September 2026.
Parents and caregivers can register children at gdeadmissions.gov.za.
