To comply with level 5 lockdown regulations get an editable template of a permit for a staff member to perform an essential service and get guidance on how to quickly issue permits to your staff members who need to get to work. It is critical that the people who provide essential services can get to work. This page is a complimentary resource to help any institution or organisation that performs an essential service in South Africa to ensure that its staff members are able to get to work.

Note: South Africa is not currently under level 5 lockdown

During level 5 lockdown, every person is confined to their home unless they fall into an exception – one being strictly for the purpose of performing an essential service. Any person to whom this applies needs to have a permit to perform the essential service. You can continue operating if your operations are outside South Africa or if your operations can be provided remotely by a person from their normal place of residence.

Importantly, where companies had issued permits under the initial lockdown regulations, they need to re-issue permits to comply with the updated COVID-19 regulations. Our template complies with these regulations.

You can carry on working from home without a certificate or permit.

The permit template is attached to the Regulations as Form 2 to Annexure A. The problem is that that permit was incomplete and was also not available in editable format. So, we decided as a public service to create an editable template of this form for any public or private institution to download and use. Feel free to ask us questions. We’re happy to help.

If you want to register your organisation with CIPC as an essential service and obtain a certificate, go to the BizPortal.

Please note that Michalsons cannot give you a certificate.

Download the Permit to perform an essential service template

This form corresponds substantially with Form 2 of Annexure A to the COVID-19 Regulations. We will update it from time to time and provide a link to the latest version here. We’ll also tell you what changed.

Download the Permit to perform an essential service

Guidance on how to use it

  • Once downloaded you should cut and paste the contents onto your letterhead in colour. Or cut and paste the elements from your letterhead and put it into the template. There are guidance notes in the template so completing it should be easy.
  • One option is to create a physical original document with the actually handwritten signature of the authorised signatory and the actual stamp of your institution. This is probably the best option from the perspective of what law enforcement will recognise. If you are creating the permit after the lockdown, you might have to create the physical version, scan and email it to the staff member so that they can use it to get to work to get the hardcopy original. Another option is to create an electronic original and sign it with some form of electronic signature (advanced or hybrid) and virtual organisation stamp. An electronic document will make sense for large organisations with multiple offices.
  • This form does not need to be signed before a Commissioner of Oaths.
  • The head of the institution should sign it. The head of a public body is the accounting officer and the head of a private body is the CEO. They can designate someone to sign the permit on their behalf. If so, you should do this in writing.
  • You can also read Guidance issued by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Your institution may register as an essential service with CIPC

This is not mandatory but will help you prove that you are an essential service

Remember you may also register your organisation with CIPC as an essential service on the BizPortal and obtain a certificate. This relates to your organisation and not staff members. Law enforcement might call the head and ask if their organisation has registered. Please note that the list on the BizPortal is a shortened list of the list below. Only organisations that are registered with CIPC can register and get a certificate. If you are a sole proprietor or a common-law association, you cannot get a certificate from the BizPortal. We guess you’ll just have to issue permits to your staff and if asked for your certificate explain that you can’t get one. Having other proof that you are an essential service will be important.
Since the President has extended the lockdown end date from midnight on 30 April 2020 to a date determined by the government, you need to extend the dates for your essential-services certificate. You can do so via the BizPortal. If you got one for the first lockdown period, you need to get another one.

What is an essential service in South Africa for Coronavirus?

The categories of essential services are confined to a specific list that is attached to the COVID-19 Regulations as Annexure D. There are 35 categories and you might fall into multiple categories but you need to fall into at least one. Note that this list is different from the designation of essential services under the Labour Relations Act. You must have been designated under the LRA and fall into a category below. Our emphasis added in bold and we have changed the numbering if necessary for formating purposes. Please note that this list may be updated from time to time to reflect changes the Minister makes. We last updated it on 5 May 2020 (Regulation No 480).

  1. Medical, Health (including Mental Health), Laboratory and Medical services and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases;
  2. Disaster Management, Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Emergency services;
  3. [Financial system]
    1. [Financial system]
      1. The following services necessary to maintain the functioning of a financial system as defined in section 1(1) of the Financial Sector Regulation Act, only when the operation of a place of business or entity is necessary to continue to perform those services:
        1. the banking environment (including the operations of mutual banks, cooperative banks, co-operative financial institutions and the Postbank);
        2. the payments environment;
        3. the financial markets (including market infrastructures licensed under the Financial Markets Act, 2012 (Act No. 19 of 2012);
        4. the insurance environment;
        5. the savings and investment environment;
        6. pension fund administration;
        7. outsourced administration;
        8. medical schemes administration; and
        9. additional services set out in directions.
      2. The services listed in paragraph (1) may not be construed to include debt collection services.
    2. Services necessary for the provision of social grants;
  4. Production and sale of the goods listed in Annexure B, above;
  5. Whole sale and retail stores for re-stocking;
  6. Electricity (including vital demand management services), water, gas and fuel production, supply and maintenance;
  7. Critical jobs for essential government services as determined by Head of National or Provincial Departments in accordance with the guidance of the Department of Public Service and Administration, including Social Grant Payments and pension payments;
  8. Essential municipal services;
  9. Care services and social relief of distress provided to older persons, mentally ill, persons with disabilities, the sick, and children;
  10. Funeral and cremation services, including mortuaries services and the transportation of mortal remains;
  11. Wildlife Management, Anti-poaching, Animal Care and Veterinary services;
  12. Newspaper, broadcasting and telecommunication infrastructure and services, including call centres critical for the support of such services;
  13. Production and sale of any chemicals, hygiene products, pharmaceuticals for the medical or retail sector;
  14. Cleaning, sanitation, pest-control, sewerage, waste and refuse-removal services;
  15. Services related to the essential functioning of courts, judicial officers, the Master of the High Court, Sheriffs and legal practitioners required for those services;
  16. Essential SARS services defined by the Commissioner of SARS;
  17. Police, peace officers, traffic officers, military medical personnel and soldiers, correctional services officials and traffic management services;
  18. Postal services and courier services related to transport of medical products;
  19. Private security services;
  20. Air-traffic Navigation, Civil Aviation Authority, air charters, Cargo Shipping and dockyard services;
  21. Gold, gold refinery, coal and mining;
  22. Accommodation used for persons rendering essential services, quarantine, isolation and the lockdown;
  23. Production, manufacturing, supply, logistics, transport, delivery, critical maintenance and repair in relation to the rendering of essential services including components and equipment;
  24. Transport services for persons rendering essential services and goods, and transportation of patients;
  25. Services rendered by the Executive, members of Parliament, Members of the Provincial Legislature, Members of Local Councils, the Judiciary, traditional leaders and National Office Bearers of Political Parties represented in Parliament;
  26. [..]
    1. Commissioners of the South African Human Rights Commission, Gender Commission, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, the Public Protector and Deputy Public Protector and the Independent Electoral Commission; and
    2. Services rendered by the institutions referred to in item 27.1;
  27. Transport and logistics n respect of cargo and goods as set out in Part A to neighbouring countries;
  28. Tow trucks and vehicle recovery services;
  29. Call centres necessary to provide health, safety, social support, government and financial services, debt restructuring for consumers of retailers. and access to short-term insurance policies as a result of reduced income or loss of income;
  30. Harvesting and storage activities essential to prevent the wastage of primary agricultural goods;
  31. Implementation of payroll systems to the extent that such arrangement has not been made for the lockdown, to ensure timeous payments to workers;
  32. Critical maintenance services which cannot be delayed for more than 21 days and are essential to resume operations;
  33. Trades necessary for the rendering of emergency repair work, including plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, glaziers, and roof repair work;
  34. Trades necessary for emergency automobile repairs for persons rendering essential services; and
  35. Information and Communication Technology services rendered to entities and institutions engaged in delivering essential services in terms of these Regulations.

Not sure if you provide an essential service?

If you’re not sure, email the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) or call them on  +27 80 000 6543 or +27 12 394 5560.

What about suppliers of essential services?

You should only issue permits to your staff and not the staff of suppliers. You can refer suppliers to this page and ask them to issue permits to their staff. If they don’t or refuse to, you could possibly issue a permit to a staff member of your supplier (but this is not ideal).

Essential service category 23 above includes “supply … in relation to the rendering of essential services“. So if your organisation renders an essential service, your supplier does too and they can issue their staff with permits. Your supplier might ask you to give them your institution’s essential services certificate (and possibly a letter to confirm that they are your supplier) so that your supplier can prove that they are a supplier to an essential service. The supplier must also register as an essential service and obtain a certificate by going to the BizPortal.

Read the Regulations

The form is in accordance with Regulations 16(2)(b) and 28(4) of the COVID-19 Regulations issued in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act on 18 March 2020 (as amended on 29 April 2020 in Government Gazette No. 480). You can also access all the Government Regulations and Guidelines regarding Coronavirus Covid-19.

For more information about Coronavirus and COVID-19 see the South African Resource Portal.

Other useful forms

    1. Permit for the movement of children
    2. Permit to travel to another province or metropolitan area or district for a funeral
    3. Sworn affidavit by a person who wishes to attend a funeral in another province or metropolitan area or district
    4. Order for a person to go to a site of isolation, quarantine facility, or for a person to go for medical examination