Free CV builder for South Africa: CV format for jobs, matric and first jobs

Fill in the boxes, and you get a plain, one column CV you can print or save as a PDF. It's free with no signup, and it stays in your browser.

This tool runs only in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. No signup. Your work stays in this browser until you delete it.

See the preview and save as PDF
About you

Two or three lines: what you do, for how long, what you're good at.

Work experience

One point on each line. Start with a verb and use numbers where you can.

Education
The rest

One on each line. Copy the words the advert uses, if they're true of you.

One on each line.

One on each line.

Give people who have seen you work: a supervisor, a mentor or a lecturer. The Department of Employment and Labour's Z83 tips say not to use friends or family.

In the print window, choose Save as PDF as the destination. If no window opens, open this page in Chrome or Safari.

Your name

Tips for this CV

  • Most South African adverts screen on minimum requirements first. Put your highest qualification, your Grade 12 and any registration near the top, in the words the advert uses: NQF level, SAQA, SANC or PSIRA grade.
  • Write your driver's licence code if you have one. Some adverts ask for code 08 or 10 by name.
  • Public service adverts ask for a recently updated comprehensive CV with the Z83. Give months and years for each job, what you did, and how long, because a panel checks experience against the advert.
  • Keep your ID number off a CV you send around. The Z83 asks for it when you apply for a government post, and an employer can ask for it once you're shortlisted.
  • No work history yet? Use a learnership, an internship, volunteering, church or school duties, or a family business, and say what you did there. Never make up a job: employers verify.
  • Leave the photo, your race and your marital status off unless the advert asks. They don't show you can do the job.

A South African recruiter going through a stack of applications checks one thing first: do you meet the minimum requirements? So this CV puts your name, contact details, qualifications and experience in plain order, with no photo, no columns and no graphics. In Circular 39 of 2026, many departments ask for a recently updated comprehensive CV together with the Z83, and this layout gives them what they check.

What is the right CV format in South Africa?

Use reverse order: your latest job and highest qualification first. Keep it to what you've done and what you can prove.

  • Your name, town, cell number and email
  • A short summary of two lines, for this job
  • Qualifications, with the NQF level if you know it, and the year
  • Work experience with months and years, and what you did
  • Skills that the advert names, a driver's licence code, any registration
  • Two or three referees who have seen you work

How do I write a CV with only matric and no experience?

Lead with your National Senior Certificate, the year and the subjects that fit the job. Then use what you do have: a learnership, a holiday job, helping in a family business, church or sports duties, or being a class rep. Say what you did and what happened, such as handling cash at a tuck shop.

This matters. In Circular 39 of 30 October 2026, dozens of government clerk posts ask for Grade 12 and no experience. A clean, honest CV is what you need for those.

What should I leave out?

Your ID number, race, marital status, religion and a photo, unless an advert asks for them. The Z83 asks some of these for government posts, for a stated purpose. Don't pay anyone to write a fake qualification or experience onto your CV. Employers verify, and the Z83 declaration warns that false information can disqualify you or lead to disciplinary action.

Does a government post need something different?

Yes. A CV alone isn't enough for most national and provincial posts: you need a Z83 as well. Some adverts say sections E, F and G of the Z83 may refer to your CV, which means your CV has to carry the full detail of your qualifications, work history and references. Read each advert, because the instructions differ.

Questions people ask

Is this CV builder really free?

Yes. There's no signup, no payment and no download fee. Your CV stays in this browser until you delete it. We never see it.

How do I save it as a PDF on my phone?

Press the print button in the tool, then choose Save as PDF in your phone's print screen. The print view shows only your CV.

How long should a South African CV be?

Two pages is enough for most people, and one is fine for a first job. The public service asks for a comprehensive CV, so give the full job detail there, even if it runs longer.

Should I put a photo on my CV?

Not unless the advert asks. It doesn't show you can do the job, and a plain layout is easier for a recruiter or a computer system to read.

Sources

Checked 2 November 2026.

Next steps

More free tools