Government · Contact details
Department of Education Contact Details
The Department of (Basic) Education contact number is its toll-free call centre, 0800 202 933, and the head office switchboard is 012 357 3000. The department’s email address is callcentre@dbe.gov.za, and matric certificate queries go to certification@dbe.gov.za or 012 357 4511/3. The head office address is Sol Plaatje House, 222 Struben Street, Pretoria, 0001. Schools, admissions and district matters are handled by the nine provincial education departments, listed below with the Soweto district office and KwaZulu-Natal. Every detail was read from education.gov.za and kzneducation.gov.za on 17 September 2026, and the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal office details were rechecked on westerncape.gov.za and kzneducation.gov.za on 25 September 2026.
Department of Basic Education head office contact details
| What you need | Contact |
|---|---|
| Call centre (toll-free hotline) | 0800 202 933 |
| Call centre email | callcentre@dbe.gov.za |
| Head office switchboard | 012 357 3000 |
| Fax | 012 323 6260 or 012 323 0601 |
| Certification (matric certificates) | 012 357 4511/3, certification@dbe.gov.za |
| Head office address | Sol Plaatje House, 222 Struben Street, Pretoria, 0001 |
| Website | www.education.gov.za |
Provincial departments of education: contact numbers and addresses
| Province | Telephone | Address listed by DBE |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 040 608 4200 | Steve Vukile Tshwete Education Complex, Zone 6, Zwelitsha |
| Free State | 051 404 8000 | 55 Elizabeth Street, FS Provincial Government Building, Bloemfontein |
| Gauteng | 011 355 0000 | 6 Hollard Building, 17 Simmonds Street, Johannesburg |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 033 846 5000 | 247 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg |
| Limpopo | 015 290 7611 | Corner 113 Biccard and 24 Excelsior Street, Polokwane |
| Mpumalanga | 013 766 5000 | Building No. 5, Government Boulevard, Riverside Park, Nelspruit |
| North West | 018 388 2562/2564 | 2nd Floor Executive Block, Garona Building, Mmabatho |
| Northern Cape | 053 839 6500 | IK Nkoane Education House, 156 Barkly Road, Homestead, Kimberley |
| Western Cape | 0861 819 919 | WCED head office, 1 North Wharf Square, 2 Lower Loop Street, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001 (from the WCED’s own contact page; the DBE list is out of date) |
WCED contact details: Western Cape Education Department head office and call centre
| What you need | Contact |
|---|---|
| WCED call centre and head office switchboard | 0861 819 919 |
| WCED WhatsApp | 084 025 9919 |
| WCED call centre email | WCED.CallCentre@westerncape.gov.za |
| WCED head office address | 1 North Wharf Square, 2 Lower Loop Street, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001 |
| Safe Schools call centre | 0800 45 46 47 |
| Employee Wellness call centre | 0800 111 011 |
Admission enquiries and admissions portal password problems go to the WCED Admissions Call Centre on 0861 819 919. The WCED’s admissions page gives the call centre and the Admission Walk-in Centre at head office as open 07:30 to 16:00, while its contact page gives the walk-in centre as Monday to Friday 08:00 to 15:45, so arrive within the shorter window.
The WCED does not publish a separate salary or HR number. Employee and salary queries go to the call centre on 0861 819 919 or WCED.CallCentre@westerncape.gov.za, which routes them to the relevant head office team; Employee Wellness is 0800 111 011. For the full list of WCED contacts, see Western Cape Department of Education contact details.
Metro South Education District contact details (Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain and Ottery)
| Office | Telephone | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Metro South Education District office | 021 370 2000 | Lentegeur Hospital, AZ Berman Drive, Lentegeur, Mitchell’s Plain; postal: Private Bag X2, Mitchell’s Plain, 7785 |
| Satellite office: Mitchells Plain Education Support Centre | 021 374 4107 | c/o Aloe and Bamboo Street, Lentegeur |
| Satellite office: Ottery Campus | 021 703 3798 | Plantation Road, Ottery |
The WCED districts page gives a named official’s mailbox as the district email. We do not publish personal mailboxes: use the district switchboard, 021 370 2000.
Department of Education KwaZulu-Natal contact details
DBE’s list of provincial offices gives the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education as 247 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg, telephone 033 846 5000. The KZN department’s own website, kzneducation.gov.za, gives its location as 228 Pietermaritz Street, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, and has separate pages for its call centre, head office, district offices and district teacher development centres. Check which address you need before visiting.
Department of Education offices in Durban: Truro House
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education’s Durban office is Truro House, 17 Victoria Embankment Street, Durban, 4001, telephone 031 360 6911. Victoria Embankment is now Margaret Mncadi Avenue, and the department’s district page gives the same building as 17 Margaret Mncadi Avenue. Provincial Examinations and Assessments at Truro House is on 031 368 1061/22/24, and the Umlazi District office on the 4th floor of Truro House is on 031 360 6763 or 031 360 6755.
The department does not list a Malgate Building or 72 Stalwart Simelane Street office on its head office or district offices pages; the Durban offices it publishes are Truro House and the Umlazi District office. The KZN head office is the Anton Lembede Building, 247 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg. See KZN Department of Education contact details for more.
Department of Education Soweto district office
In the DBE’s education districts directory, the Gauteng district office based in Soweto is Johannesburg Central District (D14), at the corner of Modjadji and Old Potch Road, Soweto College, Pimville, telephone 011 983 2201. The directory lists the Johannesburg Region head office at 111 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg. For school admissions, placement, transfers or problems at a Soweto school, go to the school first and then to the district office, or call the Gauteng Department of Education on 011 355 0000.
Matric certificates: DBE certification helpdesk
The DBE’s Certification Helpdesk at Sol Plaatje House, 222 Struben Street, Pretoria, is open Monday to Thursday from 08:30 to 15:15 for applications, collection of printed certificates and other certification requests. Applications can also be submitted online through www.umalusi.org.za and www.eservices.gov.za. To change your name on a matric certificate, you must apply to the DBE or your provincial education department using the re-issue form, in person, so officials can interview you. Corrections for administrative errors are allowed within twelve months of the certificate’s issue date, and a statement of results can be issued as an interim record while you wait for a certificate. A change to an original certificate is only considered if the original certificate, not a replacement, is returned. For a re-issue after an approved alteration of sex description, the DBE asks for certified copies of the old and new identity documents, a sworn statement, the original certificate and a confirming letter from the Department of Home Affairs.
National or provincial: who to contact
- A problem at a school, admissions, school fees or transfers: the school first, then the district office, then your provincial department of education.
- Matric certificates, re-issues and replacements: DBE certification on 012 357 4511/3 or certification@dbe.gov.za, or your provincial education department.
- National policy, curriculum, past exam papers or the Schools Masterlist: the DBE call centre on 0800 202 933 or callcentre@dbe.gov.za, and education.gov.za.
- A matter with a school governing body: DBE’s provincial offices page also lists SGB federations and associations, such as FEDSAS on 051 522 6903.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Department of Education contact number?
The Department of Basic Education call centre is toll-free on 0800 202 933, and the head office switchboard is 012 357 3000. Email callcentre@dbe.gov.za.
What is the WCED contact number?
The Western Cape Education Department call centre and head office switchboard is 0861 819 919. WCED also has a WhatsApp line, 084 025 9919.
What is the WCED email address?
The WCED call centre email is WCED.CallCentre@westerncape.gov.za.
Where is the WCED head office?
1 North Wharf Square, 2 Lower Loop Street, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001.
What is the Metro South Education District contact number?
The Metro South Education District office in Lentegeur, Mitchell’s Plain is on 021 370 2000. The Ottery Campus satellite office is on 021 703 3798.
Where are the Department of Education offices in Durban?
Truro House, 17 Victoria Embankment (Margaret Mncadi Avenue), Durban, telephone 031 360 6911.
Sources
- DBE Contact Us, Provincial Departments, Education Districts and Certification Services pages, education.gov.za, read 17 September 2026
- KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education home page, kzneducation.gov.za, read 17 September 2026
- Western Cape Education Department Contact Us, Districts, Learner Admissions and Pension FAQ pages, westerncape.gov.za/education, read 25 September 2026
- KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education Head Office and District Offices pages, kzneducation.gov.za, read 25 September 2026