Good news for job seekers in Mpumalanga: the Department of Employment and Labour is bringing its services directly to communities across the City of Mbombela, with a week-long work-seeker registration drive running from 13 to 20 August 2026.
According to SAnews, the campaign will help new work seekers register on the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) system, while those already registered can update their profiles to improve their chances of being matched with available opportunities.
Where and When to Register
The drive moves through six communities over six days, with all sessions running from 09:30 to 14:30:
- Thursday, 13 August – Phumlani
- Friday, 14 August – Mathafini Old Wood House
- Monday, 17 August – Mathafini Eskomo at Mbombela Stadium
- Tuesday, 18 August – Msholozi
- Wednesday, 19 August – KaMagugu
- Thursday, 20 August – Brondal
Skills in Demand
The department says the drive will be especially valuable for work seekers with experience in technical fields, information technology, waste management, operations, product and consignment control, specialist functions and artisan trades.
People with skills in areas such as banana ripening and cold store operations, forklift, rocker bin and cherry picker operations, marketing, finance and procurement, as well as electrical and plumbing trades, are all encouraged to attend, a list that reflects the real needs of the Lowveld’s agricultural and logistics economy.
What to Bring
Attendees are asked to come prepared with two things:
- A comprehensive CV containing contact details, qualifications, Grade 12 subjects passed, work experience and references
- Proof of residence
With those documents in hand, registration takes place on the spot, and each work seeker’s details, qualifications and skills are captured on the national ESSA database for potential matching with opportunities as they arise.
Why It Matters
Initiatives like this one remove two of the biggest barriers between unemployed South Africans and the world of work: distance and cost. Instead of asking job seekers to spend scarce money travelling to a labour centre, the department is setting up in community halls, stadiums and townships where people actually live.
The department said the registration of work seekers on the ESSA system is aimed at strengthening access to employment opportunities by ensuring job seekers’ details are on the national database and visible to employers looking for exactly their skills.
For thousands of Mbombela residents, that visibility could be the first step toward a payslip, and it starts this week, right around the corner.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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