Gauteng’s MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation, Matome Chiloane, is pleased to announce that more than 213 000 Grade 1 and Grade 8 online applications were successfully processed by 13:00pm today when the 2026 Online Admissions officially opened.
The 2026 Online Admissions application period for Grade 1 and Grade 8 in Gauteng commenced on Thursday, 24 July 2025, at 8am. Within the first hour alone, the system had recorded a total of 78 645 Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications. This translates to 32 584 Grade 1 applications and 46 061 Grade 8 applications recorded within the first hour. By 1pm, this number had risen to 213 654 successfully processed Grade 1 & Grade 8 applications.
This comprised of 93 042 Grade 1 applications and 120 612 Grade 8 applications. As part of start of the much-anticipated application period, MEC Chiloane led the official Switch-On at the YMCA in Ga-Rankuwa, where he assisted parents and guardians in navigating the online application process for the 2026 academic year.
Significantly, over 40 000 users were already attempting to access the system even before the official opening time of 8am, with some starting as early as 5am. This early surge caused temporary delays for some users, who had to refresh the page before gaining access once the system went live.
“We therefore urge parents and guardians in future to refrain from trying to log in before the official start time, to avoid unnecessary access issues,” said Steve Mabona, GDE spokesperson.
The 2026 Online Admissions application window will remain open until 29 August 2025. Parents and guardians can apply by visiting www.gdeadmissions.gov.za. Required documents must be uploaded to the system or submitted directly to the schools applied to, within seven (7) school days of applying.
Parents requiring help can visit their nearest District Office or one of the 81 Decentralised Walk-in Centres across Gauteng. The GDE Call Centre is also available at 0800 000 789, or parents can send a message on WhatsApp to 060 891 0361.
“We are proud of this monumental achievement, processing such a high number of applications on the first day. This success reflects the improvements made to the system, which operated smoothly overall, despite a brief delay experienced by users who tried accessing the site before it officially opened. We encourage parents not to panic. The system will remain open until 29 August, giving ample time to apply,” said MEC Chiloane.
Image: Steve Mabona
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