SASSETA - Safety & security

SASSETA learnerships 2026: safety, security and legal

SASSETA is the SETA for policing, corrections, defence, justice, intelligence, legal services and private security. Learnerships run through employers - here is how to reach them.

Updated 22 July 2026 ·By GoCareers
Visit SASSETA
Sector
Safety, security & legal services
Constituencies
Policing, corrections, defence, justice, intelligence, legal, private security
Learnership minimum
120 credits, minimum 1 year
Head office
Waterfall Corporate Campus, Midrand
Phone
011 087 5555
Official domain
sasseta.org.za

Who can apply

  • South African citizen
  • Unemployed learners: register with the Department of Employment and Labour as a work seeker
  • Entry requirements are set in each individual advert - SASSETA does not publish a general list
  • Private security roles require PSIRA registration, arranged through the employer
  • Policing and corrections roles carry their own fitness, medical and background requirements set by the department
  • A clear criminal record is effectively mandatory across this sector

What you'll need

  • Certified copy of SA ID
  • Certified Matric certificate or Statement of Results
  • CV
  • Proof of residence
  • Department of Employment and Labour work-seeker registration
  • Police clearance certificate where the employer requires it
  • Any existing PSIRA grading if you have one

Step by step

  1. Register as a work seeker

    SASSETA's guidance for unemployed learners is to register with the Department of Employment and Labour as a work seeker, then apply to the contact named in a given advert. SASSETA captures applicant details on its database for employers to draw from.

  2. Apply to the contact in the advert, not to SASSETA

    Each funded opportunity is advertised with its own contact person and criteria. Qualifying criteria "will be set out in the advertisement" - there is no single standing entry requirement across SASSETA programmes.

  3. If you are employed, go through your employer

    Employed learners access SASSETA-funded programmes through their employer's HR department, their supervisor, or their union. Employed learners do not receive a learner allowance - that applies to unemployed learnerships.

  4. For private security: get PSIRA-registered

    Private security and investigation is one of SASSETA's seven constituencies. Working in it requires PSIRA registration and grading, which is normally arranged through your employer or training provider.

  5. For policing and corrections: apply to the department directly

    SAPS and the Department of Correctional Services run their own recruitment cycles separate from SASSETA funding. See our SAPS recruitment guide for that process.

The seven constituencies SASSETA covers

SASSETA's scope is broader than most people assume. It spans:

  • Policing
  • Corrections and Constitutional Development
  • Defence
  • Justice
  • Intelligence Activities
  • Legal Services
  • Private Security and Investigation Activities

That last one is the largest by employee numbers - South Africa's private security industry employs more people than the police and army combined, and it is where most SASSETA-funded learnerships sit.

What a SASSETA learnership involves

A learnership under SASSETA must be governed by a contract between the learner, the employer and the training provider, and must lead to an NQF-registered qualification of minimum 120 credits with a minimum duration of one year.

On the allowance: the employer must pay unemployed learnership learners a learner allowance. Employed learners receive none, because they are already on a salary.

SASSETA does not publish a rand figure for that allowance. The legally gazetted minimum for any registered learnership applies - see our learnership stipends guide for the full table.

How funding reaches learners

SASSETA runs discretionary grant funding windows through its INDICIUM system. Employers and accredited providers apply for that funding; they then recruit learners onto the programmes it pays for.

So the realistic route in is:

  1. Register as a work seeker with the Department of Employment and Labour.
  2. Target private security companies, which are the highest-volume employers in this sector.
  3. Apply to the named contact on any advertised opportunity.
  4. If already employed in the sector, ask HR or your union about funded programmes.

Contact

Head office: Building 2, Waterfall Corporate Campus, 74 Waterfall Drive, Midrand, 2090

Phone: 011 087 5555

Email: callcentre@sasseta.org.za

Website: sasseta.org.za - note the domain ends in .org.za, not .co.za

Frequently asked questions

What does SASSETA cover?
Seven constituencies: policing, corrections and constitutional development, defence, justice, intelligence activities, legal services, and private security and investigation activities.
Can I apply to SASSETA directly for a learnership?
No. SASSETA funds employers and accredited providers, who recruit learners. Unemployed learners should register with the Department of Employment and Labour as a work seeker and apply to the contact named in each advert. Employed learners go through their employer's HR, supervisor or union.
How long is a SASSETA learnership?
A minimum of one year, leading to an NQF-registered qualification of at least 120 credits, governed by a contract between the learner, the employer and the training provider.
Do SASSETA learnerships pay a stipend?
Unemployed learners must be paid a learner allowance by the employer. Employed learners receive none, as they remain on their salary. SASSETA does not publish an amount - the gazetted legal minimum for registered learnerships applies.
What are the entry requirements for a SASSETA learnership?
SASSETA does not publish a general list. Qualifying criteria are set out in each individual advertisement, and vary considerably between private security, legal services and policing roles.
How do I get into private security work?
Private security requires PSIRA registration and grading, normally arranged through your employer or an accredited training provider. It is the largest employer group within SASSETA's scope, so it is where most learnership opportunities are.
Is SASSETA the route into SAPS?
Not directly. SAPS runs its own recruitment cycle separate from SASSETA funding, as does the Department of Correctional Services. SASSETA sits across the sector as a skills funder rather than as the recruiter for any one department.
How do I contact SASSETA?
Head office is Building 2, Waterfall Corporate Campus, 74 Waterfall Drive, Midrand, 2090. Phone 011 087 5555 or email callcentre@sasseta.org.za. The official website is sasseta.org.za.

Related guides

SAPS recruitment

Police recruitment runs its own cycle, separate from SASSETA.

Learnership stipends 2026

The gazetted minimum allowance and what real programmes pay.

Correctional services learnership

Corrections is one of SASSETA's seven constituencies.

Government vacancies

Justice, defence and intelligence posts advertise through the public service.

All 21 SETAs explained

What a SETA is, why you cannot apply to one directly, and the route that works.

Last updated 22 July 2026. We review and refresh this guide regularly — if something here is out of date, let us know.