How to get started as a babysitter — a simple guide.
This page uses short, easy steps. Don't worry if you have never used an app like this before. Just follow the steps in order. If you get stuck, call or email us — our details are at the bottom of this page.
First, how getting paid works.
There is no payment account for you to create. You are an independent contractor who sets your own availability — Elite Traders Lounge does not employ you and does not pay your fees for you. Families pay for their booking by card on this site, and your booking money is transferred to your own bank account.
What you need
A South African bank account in your own name. When you register you will give us three things:
- Your bank's name
- The account holder's name, exactly as the bank has it
- Your account number
That is all we need in order to pay you.
When you get paid
Your payment is released once both you and the family have confirmed the arrival and the departure on the check-in page, and the platform's holding period has passed. Always do your check-in and check-out — if only one side confirms, the payment cannot be released.
If a dispute is opened on a booking, no money is transferred or refunded to anyone until that dispute is resolved.
Now, register as a babysitter.
Have your documents and your bank details ready, then follow these steps to register.
Open the babysitter sign-up form
Tap the button below to go to the babysitter sign-up page.
Open the sign-up formFill in your details
- Your full name, ID or passport number, and cellphone number
- Your nationality and home address
- Your years of childcare experience and when you are available — no experience yet is fine, just say so
Upload your documents
You will need clear photos or scans of:
- Your ID or passport
- Proof of address (like a light bill) from the last 3 months
- An AFIS check or police clearance certificate
Download blank form to printSee filled-in example
You can also get this form at your police station. - A National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) clearance certificate
Download blank form to printSee filled-in example
You also need a SAPS 69(i) fingerprint report. There is no form to download: ask for it at the police station when your fingerprints are taken. See what it looks like - A confirmation letter from your bank showing your name and your account number
- If you are not a South African citizen: a police clearance from your home country too
See how to fill in the forms (example pictures)
These pictures show the forms filled in for a made-up person, “Blessing Botlhale” from Tembisa. They are examples only: do not print or submit them. Use the blank form next to each picture and fill in your own details in black pen and block letters. Tap a picture to see it bigger.
Write “Not applicable” in the offence sections and explain your reason in full sentences.
Download blank NRSO form
Mark X next to “Return to SAPS station where applied”, then fill in that station’s address.
Download blank police clearance form
You fill in only the top part. The police official completes the rest and takes your fingerprints.
No download: the police station gives you this form.
You do not fill this in. SAPS prints it after taking your fingerprints. Attach it to your NRSO form.
Ask at the police station: say you need a “SAPS 69(i)”, not a “SAPS 365”.
Blank forms are copies of the official Department of Justice and SAPS forms. Always check the latest rules at your police station or Department of Justice office.
Don't have these documents yet? The form tells you exactly how and where to apply for each one.
Getting your police clearance and NRSO. You can use the free government route through your police station, or Checknet, our preferred affordable verification company. You pay Checknet directly; Elite Traders Lounge never handles this money. Either way, your fingerprints are taken once in person.
Book an appointment first. Most Checknet agents work by appointment only, so WhatsApp or call the agent before you go. Only the agents marked “Walk-ins” accept people without an appointment.
Tip: one visit to the police station. If you use the free route, ask at your police station in one visit for (1) fingerprints for your police clearance, (2) a SAPS 69(i) fingerprint report for your NRSO, and (3) a free proof-of-address affidavit if no bill is in your name. Start your NRSO first: it can take 4–8 weeks.
Checknet agents near you (fingerprint scans)
| Your area | Agent | Location | Hours | WhatsApp / contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretoria (Pretoria North, Mabopane, Soshanguve, Mamelodi) | Dohan Esterhuyse | Dormer Avenue, Queenswood, Pretoria | Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, Sat 09:00–13:00 | 062 633 2190 |
| Christiaan Swanepoel | Constantia Park / East Lynne, Pretoria | By arrangement | 073 769 0455 | |
| Sandra Tweehuysen | Malan Street, Riviera, Pretoria | Mon–Wed 09:00–15:00, Thu 09:00–13:00 | ptaregionaloffice.admin@savf.co.za | |
| Brits | De Wildt Helpmekaar | 50A R513, Schietfontein, De Wildt | Walk-ins: Mon–Thu 08:00–13:00, Fri 08:00–15:00 | 081 780 0426 |
| East Rand (Kempton Park, Tembisa, Edenvale, Germiston, Springs) | Quest Investigation Agency | 5 Kei Road, Farrarmere, Benoni | Mon–Thu 08:00–16:00, Fri 08:00–15:00 | 011 425 4446 |
| Johannesburg west (Westdene, Northcliff, Mindalore) | Jabari Print | Shop 14, Horizon Shopping Centre, Roodepoort (next to SARS) | Walk-ins: Mon–Fri 08:30–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–14:00 | 087 821 7301 |
| Cecilia Botha | Buchanan Street, Dan Pienaarville, Krugersdorp | Mon–Fri 07:30–19:00, Sat 07:30–17:00, Sun 07:30–15:00 | 081 396 5710 | |
| Emalahleni / Witbank (nearest) | Mittah Ndabezitha | Walter Sisulu Street, Middelburg | Mon 09:00–15:00, Tue 11:30–15:00, Wed 08:00–15:30, Thu 09:30–15:30 | 071 629 3495 |
| Potchefstroom | Elise Willemse | Potchefstroom | By arrangement | Contact Checknet |
| Khayelitsha | Tembani Keith Mbombela | Khayelitsha, Cape Town | Tue–Thu 10:00–13:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–12:00 | 067 493 7270 |
| Cape Town (Hanover Park and surrounds) | Berisford Lekay | Kuils River, Cape Town | Mon–Fri 09:00–12:30, Sat 08:00–14:00 | 077 271 7025 |
| Clint Strydom | Kuils River, Cape Town | Tue–Thu 09:30–16:00, Fri 08:30–14:30, Sat 08:00–14:00 | 064 935 5240 |
List last checked: 24 October 2026. Agents’ details can change, so confirm with the agent when you book. No agent near you (for example Alexandra or Berea)? Use Jabari Print in Roodepoort, or get a free SAPS 69(i) report at your police station.
Add a reference
Give the name and contact details of someone who knows you — a former employer, teacher, lecturer, or family friend. They will be asked to confirm your character.
Add your bank details
Give your bank name, the account holder's name exactly as the bank has it, and your account number. This is the account your booking money is transferred to, so check every digit before you submit.
Take a selfie and a short video
This proves you are a real person, not a photo. It only takes a few seconds and is never recorded.
No fee to pay
Registering as a babysitter is free. You never pay a fee to Elite Traders Lounge, and nothing is taken off your rate.
Submit and wait for approval
Our team checks your documents, usually within a few days. Once all your documents are verified and you have passed our online Child Safety Check, we invite you to an interview, face to face or online. Once approved, families can find and book you.
Renew every year
Once a year, you will need to upload fresh copies of your police clearance and NRSO certificate. You do this from your own babysitter dashboard — we will remind you when it is due.
Not sure what a word means?
- Paystack
- The payment company that processes the card payments made on this site. It is a separate, established company used across Africa — it is not part of Elite Traders Lounge. Families pay by card as ordinary customers, and babysitters are paid into their own South African bank account.
- Verification
- Checking that you are really you, and that your documents are real and up to date.
- Platform fee
- Elite Traders Lounge’s fee for running the platform. It is a fixed amount per hour, paid by the family on top of the babysitter’s rate. The babysitter’s rate is 100% hers.
- Registration fee
- Babysitters pay no registration fee. Families pay R499 once a year to cover identity checks.
- Police clearance
- An official letter from the police (or AFIS) that shows a person does not have a serious criminal record.