If you've been hiring in South Africa for any length of time you've heard all of these: police clearance certificate, PCC, SAPS 91(a), criminal record check, AFIS check, fingerprint clearance, PostNet police clearance. HR teams use them interchangeably. Government departments don't. Here's what each one actually is and which one you need before making an offer.
The Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) sometimes called the SAPS 91(a) is the official paper document issued by the Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria. It's valid for 6 months from date of issue, and it's what foreign employers, visa applications and emigration processes almost always ask for. Turnaround via the official SAPS route runs 6–12 weeks.
The Criminal Record Check via AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) is the digital fingerprint route. Your candidate's prints are captured, matched against the SAPS criminal database, and a digital result is returned typically in 24–72 hours. This is what most South African employers actually need for pre-employment screening.
PostNet police clearance is not a different type of clearance it's a capture location. PostNet branches provide the fingerprint capture; the check itself still runs through SAPS or an accredited processor.
So which one do you need? For hiring a South African into a South African role: AFIS criminal record check, every time. For hiring someone who's about to emigrate, or for a foreign employer or visa: the full SAPS 91(a) PCC. For anyone working with children: AFIS check plus a National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) check.
PreAppliCheck runs the AFIS route by default, arranges fingerprint capture nationwide, and can escalate to a full 91(a) certificate on request — one point of contact, no departmental queues.