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CAO 2026 Application Form: Key Dates, Fees & How to Apply

The Central Applications Office (CAO), a non-governmental organization responsible for accepting and processing applications on behalf of selected universities and TVET colleges, has officially opened its 2026 application window to the general public. You are invited to visit the application portal at www.cao.ac.za to complete the application form. All prospective applicants have until October 31, 2025, to submit the form. Be sure to upload all supporting documents and pay the non-refundable application fee for the 2026 academic intake.

Almost all the universities in KwaZulu-Natal have contracted the Central Applications Office to accept and process their 2026 applications on their behalf. To name a few, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, the University of Zululand, and many other TVET Colleges receive their applications via the CAO website.

CAO General 2026 Application Dates

CAO 2026 applications are now open! The Central Applications Office (CAO) is now open and accepting applications for the 2026 academic intake on behalf of numerous TVET colleges and universities, both public and private. The CAO 2026 application cycle will run from March 1, 2025, to October 31, 2025.

All application materials must be received by the CAO office by the close of business on the deadline. Applications received after this date will be considered late and will incur an additional application fee.

The Central Applications Office has 2 academic intakes. Below is the breakdown of the CAO application date for 2026 for all the intakes:

January 2026 Academic Intake:

Early Submission: October 31, 2025 (Friday)
Late Applications: Open from November 1, 2025 (Saturday)

July 2025 Academic Intake

Early Submission: May 31, 2025 (Saturday)
Late Applications: Open from June 1, 2025 (Sunday)

CAO Application Fee 2026 for Processing

The application fee for the Central Applications Office (CAO) is determined by the timing of the application submission and the citizenship status of the applicant. Early applications will incur a relatively lower application or administrative fee. It is the responsibility of the applicant to decide when they wish to apply. Below is the breakdown of the 2026 CAO application fee:

Early Submission has the following application fees

South African applicants pay R250.00
International Applicants pay R300

Late submission: Applications submitted after the general deadline (October 31 for the January 2026 intake and May 31 for the July 2025 intake) will incur the following fees:

South African applicants: R470.00
International applicants: R580.00

How to Pay CAO 2026 Application fee

Cash payment: Cash payments are not allowed

Credit/debit card payment: Prospective students can pay online with a credit or debit card with sufficient funds.

EasyPay Method: You can pay the administration fee at any EasyPay outlet, such as Shoprite, Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, Boxer Supermarkets, Woolworths, and so on. (When making payment, please use your unique EasyPay number as the reference.)

N.B.: CAO is the only platform that allows you to apply to up to six different institutions (universities and TVET colleges) with a single application fee.

Key CAO Application Documents Required (January 2026 & July 2025 Intakes)

Anyone wishing to apply to a university or Tvet Colleges in South Africa are required to submit the following documents at the time of the applications.

Certified Copy of ID and Birth certificate
Final Grade 11 Report (if you are in Grade 12) OR
Highest qualification achieved
Copy of study/residence permit (if you are a non-South-African applicant)
June Grade 12 Report (as soon as you receive it if you are currently in Grade 12)
September/Trials Grade 12 Report (as soon as you receive it if you are currently in Grade 12)
Any other document requested by the institution

Note: Your application may be delayed or rejected if you fail to submit any of the required documents mentioned above, as well as any additional documents that may be requested during the application process.

How to Apply Via CAO for 2026

The Central Applications Office encourages all first time and returning students to apply online by following the guidelines below although manual applications will not be rejected.

Online application steps

Visit the official CAO website: www.cao.ac.za.
Click on “Apply” to start the application process.
Read the details and click “Continue with Application.”
Enter your ID number and click ‘Submit.’
Scroll down and click “Continue with Application” at the bottom of the page.
Fill in all required information and click “Next.”
Review your CAO number, password, and EasyPay number. Read the guidelines, then click “Continue with Online Application.”
Complete all necessary details and click “Next.”
Enter your Next of Kin details, then click “Next.”
Provide your school details, including enrollment and graduation years, and click “Search.”
Review your information and click “Next.”
When satisfied with your application, click “Process My Application.”
After successful submission, you’ll receive a confirmation notification.
Proceed to pay online via credit card or use EasyPay for payment.

Manual/Hard copy Applications

The CAO application forms are sent to all partnering universities, TVET colleges, and libraries. You can obtain a copy, complete it by hand, and submit the completed form along with the required documents to CAO via mail, hand delivery, or email as follows:

Email: formsreceivedcao@cao.ac.za
Postal: Private Bag X06, Dalbridge, 4014
Hand delivery: CAO, Gate 11, Mary Thiphe Street (formerly Cato Manor Road), Durban

After submission, you will be provided with a CAO number. This number allows you to log into the CAP application portal and upload the soft copies of all the supporting documents.