Becoming a part of the South African Air Force (SAAF) is both a risk and an honour. However, to get the job, applicants have to meet a range of requirements.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) recruits the best of the best to join them in the air each year. However, to be a part of this group of professionals, applicants will have to meet a series of requirements, including subject, weight, work competency, and citizenship requirements, to name a few.
Each year, applicants will be able to find out about applicant recruitments through recruitment drive advertisements issued through newspaper outlets during the month of February. The newspaper outlets that advertise these applications include: Sunday Times, Rapport, and City Press.
Application forms can be filled out for the following positions: Pilot/Navigator, Pilot, Navigator, General work (for other careers), Engineer and Technical professional. Each role has its own set of requirements for applicant eligibility.
Alternatively, if interested candidates wish not to wait for the recruitment drive advertisements in February, they can also send in their CVs immediately to the SAAF.
The CV should include the following:
- Applicant’s full name
- Applicant’s postal address
- Applicant’s contact details
- Applicant’s ID Number
- Applicant’s Height, Weight, Gender and Race
- Applicant’s reason for application: which position they would like to apply for
- Applicant’s current tertiary level and subjects studied
However, applicants should not expect to receive an early response if they choose to send in their CV ahead of time, as their application will simply be held on file until the recruitment drive initiates the next February.
Following the closure of application submissions, applications will be evaluated and eliminated based on who does not meet the eligibility requirements.
Those who make it through the first rounds of elimination will have to endure psychometric tests to measure their work abilities. If they pass these tests, candidates will be brought in for interviews.
Following that, candidates will have to go through initial selection, and then aviation medical. By the end of this, about 30 candidates should be selected, taking a pile of as many as thousands of applicants down by over 100-fold.
Unfortunately, the process of recruitment, selection and training can take up to four years before chosen candidates are given the opportunity to fly. Given the lengthiness of the processes, applicants are advised to apply from as early as grade 11.
For more information, and to download brochures to see if you meet the eligibility criteria, visit the SAAF website.
