For Parents & Teachers
BokamosoEd is a free career exploration tool for learners from Grade 7 to Grade 12. It takes about three minutes to start, works on a phone, needs no sign-up and collects no personal details.
It opens doors, not files
Learners meet careers beyond doctor, lawyer, teacher and engineer, including trades, technical and emerging fields.
It respects the learner
Nothing here says 'you must become X'. Every result is framed as a possibility worth exploring.
It links school to life
Every career shows the school subjects that help and the real study routes in South Africa.
It is honest about money
Salary information is clearly labelled as an estimated range, and every career lists TVET, learnership and apprenticeship routes alongside university.
Six questions to ask at home
Better than "what do you want to be one day?", these open a conversation instead of asking for a final answer.
- “What part of your school day do you actually enjoy, and why that part?”
- “If money was not a problem, what would you spend your week doing?”
- “Which career on here had you never heard of before today?”
- “What would you want to be good at in five years?”
- “Who do you know that has a job you find interesting? Can we ask them about it?”
- “What is something you have fixed, built, drawn or organised that you were proud of?”
A four-lesson classroom plan
Lesson 1 · Discover (30 min)
Each learner answers the five questions on a phone or shared device, then writes down their top three matches and one surprise.
Lesson 2 · Research (45 min)
Learners pick one career they had never heard of, read the full page and complete a one-page profile: what it does, subjects needed, study route, salary range.
Lesson 3 · Present (45 min)
Two-minute presentations to the class. The rule: you must say why someone might love this job and why someone might not.
Lesson 4 · Plan (30 min)
Grade 9s map subject choices against their matches. Grade 11s and 12s shortlist three bursaries and note the closing dates in their diaries.
Helping with subject choice
Work backwards: pick two or three careers that interest the learner, look at the subjects those careers need, and choose from there. The subjects page explains every FET subject in plain language.
Open the subject guide →Helping with funding
Most bursaries close months before matric results are released, and several are open from Grade 11. Twenty real South African funds are listed with what they cover and who qualifies.
See the bursary list →Questions we get asked
Does my child need to decide on a career now?
No. The point is to widen the list of possibilities, not to narrow it to one. Most adults change direction several times.
When do subjects get chosen?
At the end of Grade 9. Two languages, Life Orientation and either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy are set; the learner chooses three more. Changing after Grade 10 becomes difficult.
Is Mathematical Literacy a bad choice?
Not at all, but it closes engineering, medicine and most science degrees. Check the requirements of the courses your child is drawn to before deciding.
What if university is not affordable?
NSFAS funds university and TVET study for households under roughly R350 000 a year, and learnerships pay a stipend while you train. The bursaries page lists twenty real options.
Is a TVET college a step down?
No. Artisans, technicians and skilled trades are among the scarcest skills in South Africa, and many qualified artisans out-earn graduates.
Is any personal data collected?
No. Everything a learner chooses is stored only on their own device and can be cleared at any time from the My Future page.
Coming later
These features are planned but not built yet.
- Teacher dashboard · coming soon
- Downloadable classroom worksheets · coming soon
- Learner progress tracking · coming soon
- Printable career reports · coming soon
- Parent accounts · coming soon
This tool is designed to help you explore career possibilities. It does not replace professional career counselling, school guidance or official university admission requirements.