A real trade qualification can change your whole career path, and right now Sasol is opening that door in Secunda. Applications for the Sasol Artisan Maintenance Learnership are open for the 2026 intake, but the closing date of 23 October 2026 will arrive faster than you think. If you hold Matric or an N3 certificate, this could be your entry into a technical career. Before you apply, check your subjects carefully, because many good applicants are turned away over small details they never noticed.
What is this programme?
Sasol is offering an Artisan Maintenance Learnership at its Secunda site in Mpumalanga. Here are the confirmed details:
- Organisation: Sasol
- Programme: Artisan Maintenance Learnership
- Reference number: 13281
- Training location: Secunda, Mpumalanga
- Contract: 36 months, fixed-term
- Entry routes: Completed Matric or equivalent, or the six-subject N3 route
- Training fields: Mechanical Fitter, Instrumentation, Electrician, Welding and Rigging
- Stipend: Not published on the recruitment page
- Closing date: 23 October 2026
This is a three-year commitment. Make sure that plan fits your life before you apply.
Who can apply?
There are two entry routes. Your certificate must match one of them exactly.
Route 1: Matric
You need a completed National Senior Certificate or equivalent, with passes in:
- Mathematics or Technical Mathematics
- English
- Physical Science or Technical Science
Put your certificate next to this list and check the actual subject names. Many applicants assume their subjects qualify without checking. That one mistake costs them the chance.
Route 2: N3
You need a completed N3 National Senior Certificate covering six subjects. Within those subjects, you must have passed:
- Mathematics
- English
- Engineering Science
Here is where many people slip up. A certificate titled “N3” alone is not enough. The six-subject condition and the three named passes must both be met. Check them together before you submit anything.
If your English or Engineering Science results appear on separate records, gather every page. If you are unsure how to present them, ask Sasol directly. Do not assume the qualification title proves an English pass.
What will you gain from this training?
You will train in one of five maintenance fields. Each one leads to different hands-on work:
- Mechanical Fitter — for you if you enjoy understanding how machine parts fit and work together.
- Instrumentation — for you if measuring and controlling industrial processes interests you.
- Electrician — for you if circuits, motors and fault-finding appeal to you.
- Welding — for you if precise metal-joining work sounds like your fit.
- Rigging — for you if planning and teamwork around moving heavy loads interests you.
Sasol does not publish how many places are available in each field. If the application asks for your preference, follow its instructions and choose only from the options it gives you.
Over 36 months, Sasol combines workplace learning with structured or institutional learning. You will complete assessments and take part in workplace-readiness activities and exercises. If those words are new to you, a learnership simply mixes classroom-style learning with real work experience.
Two honest notes before you commit. The recruitment page does not promise an automatic Red Seal award, so ask which qualification you will work towards and how assessments and trade testing fit in. The page also does not publish a stipend amount, so request written payment terms if you receive an offer. A figure linked to another Sasol intake does not apply here.
Sasol states that selection preference follows its Employment Equity Plan, including designated groups and people with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation is provided so people with disabilities can perform essential functions.
How to apply for reference 13281
- Open the official page. Go to the Sasol Secunda Artisan Maintenance Learnership page and confirm reference 13281.
- Select “Apply now”. Follow the registration or sign-in steps shown by Sasol’s recruitment system.
- Enter your education accurately. Use the completed qualification route and the exact subject results shown on your records.
- Upload the requested files. Make sure the pages showing your required passes are clear and complete.
- Review and submit by 23 October 2026. Check the reference number, your contact details and your attachments. Keep any acknowledgement you receive.
If your evidence runs across several pages, use clear file names and confirm each upload contains the right pages. Follow the portal’s allowed file types and size limits.
Tips to strengthen your application
These points come up again and again with applicants, so check each one before you submit:
- Mathematical Literacy is not listed. The accepted options are Mathematics and Technical Mathematics. If your records show something different, ask before assuming you qualify.
- Business English is not listed either. The programme names English only. If Business English appears on your certificate, ask Sasol to confirm whether it counts for reference 13281.
- Finish your N3 fully. The route requires a completed qualification covering six subjects. Passing a few modules does not meet the condition. State your true completion status.
- Make your interest concrete. Think of a subject, workshop task or piece of equipment that made you curious. Explaining that interest clearly will help you ask better questions about the training.
Be honest with yourself about competition. Programmes like this attract many applicants, and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place. Apply anyway, and keep other suitable learnerships on your list at the same time.
What happens after you apply?
Sasol states that if you receive no response within 60 days after the closing date, you should treat the application as unsuccessful. Closing is 23 October 2026, so that checkpoint falls on 22 December 2026.
Write that date down next to reference 13281 and your submission confirmation. It is a guide from Sasol, not a promised interview or results date.
Keep your phone and email active during the response window, and keep exploring other technical learnerships while you wait. An application tracker helps you keep each programme’s deadline and feedback rules separate.
Your next step
Start today by checking your certificate against the subject lists above. Then choose the trade field that matches the technical work you genuinely enjoy. Submit a clean, complete application for reference 13281 well before 23 October 2026, and store your confirmation with your checkpoint date of 22 December 2026. One careful application now can shape your next three years of learning and open the door to a skilled trade career.