BLOEMFONTEIN: Candidates in possession of tertiary qualifications to get first preference for the Basic Police Development Learning Programme (BPDLP) of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The police department has received more than a million applications for intake for its 2025/2026 programme.
Applications were received by close of date at midnight on 18 July for the only 5 500 spaces available nationwide.
Brig Athlenda Mathe, national spokesperson for the police, says a total of 1 049 998 applications were received. Of these applicants, she says 334 765 were graduates from various tertiary institutions. Mathe says amongst the graduates 1 049 998 were young people who applied.
“334 765 applicants are in possession of a NQF 6 (Diploma) and higher qualifications. It is important to note that the first preference will be given to graduates in the law and policing field, Information technology (IT), Criminology and Bsc graduates followed by graduates from other disciples and in possession of driver’s licence. We will also consider matriculants who have bachelors’ entries to university,” says Mathe. She the number of females who applied stood at 595 049 while males stood at 454 949. “Due to the high volume of application’s received, those who did not meet the requirements will unfortunately not be notified. Those whose profiles meet the set requirements will be contacted within three months,” says Mathe.
Gauteng topped the list of the provinces with the most applications with 267 031 followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 205 802. The Limpopo province had 115 877 followed by Eastern Cape with 108 709 and Mpumalanga with 100 516.
Western Cape is the fifth highest with 86 496 followed by Free State with 73 214 while North West applicants stood at 66 167 and Northern Cape submitted the least applications, 26 186.
