Replacing a lost or damaged original matric certificate

You may apply for a replacement at the department of basic education (DBE) or provincial education department (PED) by simply completing the replacement application form.

As detailed on the Soweto Urban website, the DBE may issue a statement of results at request while waiting for the issuance of your certificate. Still, if you’re unhappy because of the damage to the certificate, you can return it to the DBE or PED offices.

READ MORE: Woman sells matric certificates on Facebook

The following is what the education department requires applicants to do as part of the certificate replacement process:

What should you do?

• Pay the prescribed fee by postal order at the Post Office, cash at DBE/PED office or by cheque.
• Go to the nearest DBE/ PED offices with the following documents:
  1. An affidavit stating what happened to your certificate (i.e. if it is lost or damaged)
  2. the original national/ senior certificate (if it is damaged), this is not applicable if it is lost
  3. The original identity document (ID) and a certified copy.
• Alternatively, you can download a form, fill it in and post it with the attached documents, including the postal order to Private Bag X895, Pretoria, 0001.

Note: If you are abroad (outside South Africa), you can send someone to the DBE to fill in the form for you and pay the prescribed fee.

How long does it take?

It takes between four to six weeks for a replacement certificate to be issued (for records on the system). You can obtain your statement of results immediately.

For records not on the system, it will take longer as records need to be retrieved from the archives and loaded on the system.

How much does it cost?

• Replacement certificate: R107.00
• Statement of results: additional R45.00.
• These fees are valid from 01 April 2018 until 31 March 2019.

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