Your FREE RIDE to opportunity
The Western Cape Government has partnered with public and private sector organisations to help unemployed jobseekers find work. Together, we’re piloting Getting YOU to Work, an exciting initiative offering jobseekers free travel to interviews using Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS).
Through this initiative, our partner organisations can offer free travel vouchers to jobseekers to look for work, greatly improving access to job opportunities.
Getting YOU to Work was launched in February 2024 and is available to unemployed jobseekers in Cape Town who are registered by a partner organisation. To date, Getting YOU to Work has made a real difference - nearly 50% of voucher users we’ve surveyed are now employed. That is impact we are proud of, and we’re just getting started. Our mission is simple: to help many more jobseekers find employment through the voucher programme.
Where do I sign up?
EMPLOYERS, NGOs or NPOs - click here to register on the Online Portal so you can offer free travel vouchers to jobseekers, including interview candidates or jobseekers supported by your organisation.
JOBSEEKERS - Ask your potential employer or NGO/NPO to register for Getting YOU to Work so you can get a free travel voucher to attend an interview or look for work.
Why free travel?
Getting YOU to Work is part of the Western Cape Government’s Growth 4 Jobs Strategy, through which we are doing everything we can to grow the provincial economy, create jobs and tackle unemployment, which currently stands at 20%.
The high cost of transport is a major barrier reported by unemployed jobseekers looking for work and recent increases in fuel prices and public transport fares have made this even more difficult. Providing free travel vouchers removes this barrier, helping jobseekers find the work they so desperately need.
How does it work?
Unemployed jobseekers can be nominated by a registered organisation to receive a free travel voucher from the Western Cape Government.
The voucher allows jobseekers to search for work and travel to and from interviews in the Cape Town metro, for free, using Golden Arrow Bus Services on Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) between the hours of 9am (09h00) and 3pm (15h00). The process is outlined below:
- Eligible jobseekers are offered a free travel voucher by a partner organisation.
- If the jobseeker accepts, their details are loaded onto an online platform by the organisation.
- The jobseeker will receive an SMS with login details and instructions on how to complete their registration on the online portal.
- Once the jobseeker has registered, they will receive an SMS with details on how to collect the voucher.
- The jobseeker can then visit their nearest GABS kiosk or independent vendor to receive the voucher, which is loaded on a GABS Gold Card.
- The jobseeker taps the Gold Card when boarding a GABS bus to redeem their free trip (up to 6 trips per voucher).
- The voucher can be used to cover the full journey to and from the interview, including transfers between buses. See FAQs for more information on transfers.
Who is eligible to participate?
The vouchers are offered directly to unemployed jobseekers who are registered by one of the partner organisations, therefore, are not available to the general public.
To be eligible for a voucher, a jobseeker must:
- Be unemployed; and
- Have a valid South African ID.
The vouchers will benefit jobseekers in areas with the highest levels of unemployment, removing the barrier of transport costs to travel to and from their interview. GABS operates an extensive service across the Cape Town metro. Visit the GABS website www.gabs.co.za or call 0800 65 64 63 for further details on their services.
How can employers, NGOs and NPOs get involved?
Organisations that are interested in stepping up to participate in this exciting and transformative initiative must be:
- Registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), Department of Social Development, or as a public entity; and
Actively recruiting or facilitating recruitment of unemployed jobseekers in Cape Town.
If you meet these simple requirements and want to partner with us to support jobseekers with their transport needs, please click on this link to register on the online portal.
How can I find out more?
If you would like to find out more about Getting YOU to Work, please contact our Contact Centre by phone or email using the details below:
• Phone: 0860 142 142
• E-mail: service@westerncape.gov.za
Please note that the Contact Centre is operational:
• Monday to Friday - 8am to 4pm
• Saturday and Sunday - 8am to 1pm
• Public holidays - closed
If you are looking for the best route to take to attend your interview, or your nearest GABS kiosk or independent vendor, contact the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 (toll free) or visit the GABS website on www.gabs.co.za Or check out our FAQs.