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.
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 | 021 467 2000 | Grand Central Towers, Cnr Darling and Lower Plein Streets, Cape Town |
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 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.
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