CAO Online Application

The Central Application Office – CAO application 2024/2025 has just been announced. All interested applicants can visit the CAO  online application portal or download the CAO application form 2024/2025 to submit their application offline. In this post, we will assist all applicants with detailed guidelines on How to Apply for CAO Online Application, upload your documents on the CAO portal, and pay your CAO application fees online.

About Central Applications Office (CAO)

The Central Applications Office (CAO) is the only organization authorized to recruit and process applications for admissions to the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Zululand (UNIZULU) and most private colleges in KwaZulu-Natal. The participating institutions reserve the right to make the final decisions about every applicant’s application.

Read Also: How to Check Your CAO Application Status

Functions of the CAO application portal

Candidates and students can access the following services and resources available on the Central Applications application (CAO) portal;

• Submit supporting documents
• Deciding on your career (ie Don’t Know What To Study directory)
• Browse available programmes
• Track your application progress
• Apply for Change of Mind
• Update personal details

 CAO Portal Login

Applicants are required to first log in to the Central Application Office (CAO) portal to obtain their application number which can then be used to upload all supporting documents for one’s application. The guidelines below will assist you on how to login to your CAO online application portal;

• Visit the login page of the CAO application via cao.ac.za/login.aspx
• Click on the Applicants option
• Complete the form with the required information
• Enter the Capture code
• Click on the submit button
• Select your preferred medium to receive your information (SMS/email)
• proceed to upload the required CAO documents

Ways to apply for CAO admission

Applicants have two (2) major ways to submit their application to the Central Admissions Office (CAO) in other to be considered for admission. These options are;

• Central Admissions Office online portal – CAO online portal
• CAO Hard copy application form – CAO offline application

How to Apply for CAO Online Application

You can apply for admission through the Central Applications Office (CAO) online application portal with the following procedures;

1. Visit the CAO website www.cao.ac.za 
2. Click on the Available programmes option to browse through the list of available programmes
3. Click on Apply Now
4. Enter your index number or passport number
5. Complete your application by filling in all the required details
6. pay for the application fee
7. Print out the declaration form and Deposit slip
8. Attach the required documents and proof of payment to your declaration form
9. Post to CAO OR hand in at CAO offices
10. Keep the receipt and make a note of your CAO number and password

Process to download CAO Application form

Applicants can download CAO application form and submit their application offline with the following guidelines;

1. Visit the CAO websites
2. Browse through the progammes list
3. Refer to the summary of codes used
4. Use the Index to find the programme page
5. Download the CAO application form from the site
6. Fill in the application form with all the relevant details
7. Pay the required CAO application fee
8. Attach the required documents and proof of payment in the form of a declaration
9. Submit your application to the CAO office nearby or post it to the CAO mailbox
10. Keep the receipt and make a note of your CAO number and password which will be required to track your CAO application status

How to upload documents to CAO online portal

follow these procedures to upload your application documents to the Central Application Office (CAO) portal;

• Access the Central Applications Office (CAO) website at www.cao.ac.za
• Click on the Upload My Documents icon on the Home Page
• Log in to your CAO account with your CAO number and password
• Upload your documents and enter your related examination results
• Review your uploads to confirm the right documents were uploaded
• If you are in Grade 12, it is compulsory to enter your Life Orientation result
• Click on Submit My Documents to upload your documents
• Congratulations, your documents have been submitted successfully

How to pay for CAO online application

There are two(2) ways to pay for CAO application;
You may pay the application administration fee online at the same time as when you apply. After you click Process my Application a message will appear telling you how you may pay the applicable administration fee.

If you applied online and wish to pay at a later date:

1. Go to www.cao.ac.za
2. Click on Payments on the top menu bar
3. Enter your CAO or ID Number and click Submit
4. Click on Pay Now by Credit Card

Read Also: NSFAS Student Portal

If you have submitted a hard copy form:

1. Go to www.cao.ac.za
2. Click on Payments on the top menu bar
3. Enter the CAO number that is on the application form you have and/or will submit and click Submit
4. Click on Make a Payment

Closing date for CAO Application 2024

The closing date for late applications is 1st May, 2024 (17:00). The closing date for normal applications was 1st February, 2024 (17:00)