The South African Revenue Service (SARS) invites suitably qualified young South Africans to apply for the Customs & Excise Cadet Learnership Programme 2026, with 80 positions available across different locations in South Africa. The programme is offered on a 12-month contract and is aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who meet the required education, experience and operational requirements. The closing date for applications is 29 September 2026.
This could be an interesting opportunity for young job seekers who want to gain practical workplace experience in customs, logistics, administration, customer service and related operational areas. Successful candidates will be exposed to the Customs & Excise environment and will have an opportunity to develop workplace skills while working within SARS.
The SARS Customs & Excise Cadet Programme is designed as a 12-month learning and workplace experience programme.
During the programme, successful candidates will be placed in different Customs & Excise operational environments. Their work may involve administrative support, processing information, maintaining records, responding to queries and assisting with other operational activities.
The programme can also give participants an understanding of how Customs & Excise operations work in different parts of the country.
| Job Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | South African Revenue Service (SARS) |
| Position | Customs & Excise Cadet |
| Programme | Customs & Excise Cadet Learnership |
| Number of Positions | 80 |
| Contract Period | 12 months |
| Requisition ID | 11620 |
| Age Requirement | 18–35 years |
| Citizenship | South African citizenship required |
| Closing Date | 29 September 2026 |
One of the notable parts of this opportunity is the number of locations involved.
SARS is recruiting cadets for different operational environments, including airports, harbours, border posts, hubs and inland offices.
The locations listed in the vacancy include:
Applicants should carefully consider the location requirement before applying.
Successful candidates must be willing to work in different Customs operational environments and may be required to work at remote land border posts, airports, seaports and inland operational offices.
The opportunity has several requirements that applicants must meet.
Candidates must be between 18 and 35 years old and must be South African citizens.
The minimum education requirement is NQF Level 4 with Mathematics and/or Accounting.
Applicants must also have at least one year of experience in one of the following areas:
Candidates should make sure their CV clearly shows any relevant experience before submitting an application.
Applicants must have a valid Code B or Code EB driver’s licence.
This is an important requirement, so candidates should make sure their driver’s licence information is correctly included in their application.
Computer literacy is also required.
Applicants should be comfortable using computers and have proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
This can include programmes used for everyday office work, such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
Computer skills are important because the role may involve processing information, maintaining records, preparing reports and completing administrative tasks.
This is an operational environment, so successful candidates must be flexible about working hours.
Applicants must be willing to work:
The working hours may depend on the operational requirements of the area where a candidate is placed.
Applicants should therefore understand that the programme may not follow normal Monday-to-Friday office hours.
Candidates must be willing to be deployed nationally.
This means successful applicants may be placed in different parts of South Africa depending on operational requirements.
The work may take place at:
Applicants should consider their ability to relocate or work in different locations before applying.
The main purpose of the programme is to give successful candidates practical exposure to Customs & Excise operations.
Cadets may assist with a range of administrative and operational activities within their assigned division or business unit.
Their responsibilities may include processing information accurately and assisting with administrative tasks.
They may also respond to information requests and communicate transactional outputs and queries to the relevant people.
Other duties can include:
Cadets will be expected to learn the correct procedures and apply them during their daily work.
Learning is an important part of the programme.
Successful candidates will be expected to develop their skills through workplace experience and training.
Cadets should be willing to ask for help or additional training when they need it. They will also be expected to assess their own performance and request feedback to improve their work.
This means applicants should have a positive attitude towards learning.
You do not need to know everything before joining the programme, but you should be willing to learn and improve as you gain experience.
SARS is looking for candidates who can demonstrate several important workplace qualities.
These include:
Candidates should also be able to communicate clearly and work according to established procedures.
The role can involve a number of administrative activities.
Important technical areas include:
Applicants should be comfortable working with information and completing tasks accurately.
Attention to detail is particularly important because mistakes in records or information can affect the work being carried out.
Customs & Excise work can involve sensitive taxpayer and commercial information.
For this reason, successful candidates must understand the importance of confidentiality, integrity, governance and compliance.
Cadets will need to follow SARS procedures and protect information that they access during their work.
Following instructions and established procedures will therefore be an important part of the programme.
Applicants should be prepared to undergo different checks as part of the recruitment process.
The recruitment process may include:
Candidates may also be required to declare private interests and take an oath of secrecy.
Applicants should provide accurate information throughout the recruitment process.
The vacancy states that persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
SARS will also consider its Employment Equity policy as part of the recruitment and selection process.
Applicants should make sure that all information supplied during the application process is accurate and complete.
Before applying, check that you meet the main requirements:
The closing date for the SARS Customs & Excise Cadet Learnership 2026 is 29 September 2026.
Applicants should avoid waiting until the last minute to submit their applications. Before applying, check your qualifications, experience, driver’s licence and other requirements carefully.
Remember that meeting the basic requirements does not automatically mean that an applicant will be selected. Candidates may also be required to complete assessments and other recruitment checks.
Applications must be submitted through the official SARS careers platform.
Position: Customs & Excise Cadet Learnership Programme
Number of positions: 80
Requisition ID: 11620
Contract: 12 months
Age: 18–35 years
Closing date: 29 September 2026
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR THE SARS CUSTOMS & EXCISE CADET LEARNERSHIP
Applicants should make sure they submit their applications before the 29 September 2026 deadline and carefully follow the instructions provided on the official SARS careers page.
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