Help: Contact Directory search
- About the contact directory database
- Search and browse: an overview
- Quick search
- Advanced search
- Results
- FAQs
- Explaining the search page
- Explaining the search results page
- Explaining the search results contact detail page
- Error messages
About the contact directory database
GCIS maintains a database of contact information for government structures and bodies, media organisations, journalists, and a selection of other institutions such as political parties, foreign representatives in South Africa, tertiary and other institutions. The directory contains general contact information for each of the institutions/organisations represented, names and contact information for the heads of these institutions/organisations and in some cases additional contact persons, e.g. media liaison officers, senior managers, etc. The database can be browsed or searched, while selected contact information is available as separate contact directories and lists that can be printed or downloaded as complete documents.
Note: The contact directory does not contain the details of every employee who works for each organisation/institution!
Search and browse: an overview
When you first connect to the contact directory, you are presented with a brief description of what it entails as well as options to either browse or search the database or print or download the contact directories and lists.
- browse: Contact details are accessible per category. Browse national government structures, provincial governments, government structures and parastatals , international representation in South Africa, media contacts, political parties and private sector or information officers. You can access the contact details of a person or organisation/institution by clicking on the appropriate entry which appears on the screen. While browsing these categories you can download or print the various categories or the specific contact detail page you have accessed.
- search: Search through the complete directory, either by doing a Quick search or an Advanced search. You can search for surname, first name, job title/position and institution/organisation.
- print or download: Individual directories - Government Directory, Directory of Contacts and Media Directory - as well as certain contact lists frequently requested can be printed or downloaded.
Quick search
Quick search allows you to search on any word or phrase contained in the contact directory.
How to search
- To enter a query into Quick search, type in one
or more descriptive words or phrases. To use more than one search
term or phrase, use a comma between the separate search terms.
The Quick search will return all entries containing any of the words and/or phrases in your query.
Examples:
- smith will return all entries containing the word Smith
- smith, mahlangu will return all entries containing the word Smith as well as all entries containing the word Mahlangu
- environmental affairs will return all entries containing the phrase environmental affairs, e.g. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
- mahlangu, foreign affairs will return all entries containing the word Mahlangu as well as all entries containing the phrase foreign affairs, e.g. Mahlangu and Department of Foreign Affairs.
- To specify the number of search results to be displayed per page, select 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 results per page from the dropdown menu. The default setting provides 10 results, which is the fastest.
- Click on the Search button for a list of relevant results.
- To empty the search field or, in other words, clear the criteria you have specified, click on the Clear button at the bottom of the Quick search.
How to select search terms
Case
Searches are not case sensitive.
Example:
- Smith, SmItH and smith will all return the same result
Phrases
To search for a phrase, type the phrase exactly as it should appear in the results.
Example:
- foreign affairs will appear together in all results exactly as you have entered them, e.g. Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tip: Be careful when using phrases for searching names and surnames of officials. For example, when entering john smith, zero results could be returned as the phrase John Smith could be non-existing, as the complete phrase could be John Peter Smith . Rather use:
- john, smith
or- use the Advanced search.
Wildcard searches
You can search for part of a word by means of wildcards. You can effect a wildcard search by adding an asterisk (*) at the beginning, end or both ends of a search string. This means that the search may return results that do not exactly match your search string.
Examples:
- fra* will return all entries containing words starting with the letters fra e.g. Frank Smith and Embassy of France
- *swa* will return all entries containing the letters swa e.g. Embassy of Botswana, and Zoliswa Morweloi
- *ith will return all entries containing words ending with the letters ith e.g. Patti Smith and Harrismith Chronicle
Acronyms
To find an acronym, type it exactly as it should appear in the results.
Example:
- anc will only find the string ANC and not ANCWL.
Note
Quick search searches for words and phrases in the entire
directory. This means that when entering Smith,
the search will return John
Smith (surname), but also entries containing Smith
Street (address).
What can I search for?
Name search
If you know the name of an official you may find it by typing either the full name (all first names and surname), only a first name or only the surname of the official.
Examples:
- john smith will return all entries containing the phrase exactly as you typed it (e.g. John Smith and not John Peter Smith)
- smith will return all entries containing the word smith (e.g. John Smith and Anne Smith)
- john, smith will return all entries containing the word john as well as entries containing the word smith (e.g. John Smith, Anne Smith, John Mahlangu)
Institution/organisation search
You can also search for an organisation or institution.
Example:
- parliament will not only return Parliament and Library of Parliament, but also all entries with the word parliament in the address, and all officials linked to Parliament.
You may also use an organisation's acronym
Example:
- saps will return South African Police Service and all officials linked to the SAPS or with saps in the address.
Job title/position search
You can search for a job title or position of an official.
Example:
- president will return all entries with the word president, e.g. President of the ANC, Deputy President
- deputy minister will return all entries with the phrase deputy minister, e.g. Deputy Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Defence.
Advanced search
Advanced search is a feature that helps you refine your search. You can refine your search by using specific search fields, including First name; Surname; Job title/position; and Institution/organisation name.
How to do an advanced search
- To enter a query into Advanced search, enter a search term/s and/or phrase/s in one or more search fields.
- Select one
of the following options:
Search must include any of the selected criteria: This option is the default option. It searches for results that match either one or more of the words you specified.
Example:
- the first name john and the surname smith will return all entries containing the first name john as well as all entries containing the surname smith or both, e.g. John Makgetla, Sheila Smith, John Smith.
OR
Search must include all of the selected criteria: This option searches for results that include all of the words you typed into the search fields.
Example:
- the first name john and the organisation/institution name parliament will return only entries containing both the first name john and the organisation or institution name parliament.
- To specify the number of search results to be displayed per page, select 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 results per page from the dropdown menu. The default setting provides 10 results, which is the fastest.
- Click on the Search button at the bottom of the Advanced search for a list of relevant results.
- To empty the search field or, in other words, clear the criteria you have specified, simply click on the Clear button at the bottom of the page.
How to select search terms
Case
Searches are not case sensitive.
Example:
- John, JoHn and john will all return the same results.
Phrases
To search for a phrase, type the phrase exactly as it should appear
in the results.
Example:
- media liaison officer in the Job title/position field will return only officials with the job title media liaison officer
- media in the Job title/position field will return only officials where the phrase media forms part of the job title e.g. Media Liaison Officer, Head: Media Liaison
- environmental affairs in the Institution/organisation field will return Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
Wildcard searches
You can search for part of a word by means of wildcards. You can effect a wildcard search by adding an asterisk (*) at the beginning, end or both ends of a search string. This means that the search may return results that do not exactly match your search string.
Examples:
- *hab* in the First name field will return all entries containing the letters hab e.g. Thabisa Majaja
- *person in the Job title/position field will return all entries ending with the word person e.g. Chairperson and Spokesperson
- fin* in the Institution/organisation field will return all entries containing words starting with the letters fin e.g. Department of Finance and Ministry of Finance.
Acronyms/exact matches
To find an acronym, type it exactly as it should appear in the results.
Example:
- anc will only find the string ANC and not ANCWL.
What can I search for
Advanced search fields
- First
name: In this field, you enter the first name/s of an official.
Example:
- john will return all entries with the first name john (e.g. John Smith, John Thabang Zwane).
If you can specify as much of the name as possible, you will obtain more concise results and reduce the search time.
Example:
- john thabang instead of john will return only entries with both the names john and thabang (e.g. John Thabang Zwane).
- Surname: In this field, you enter the surname of an official.
Example:
- smith will return all entries with a surname smith (e.g. Smith, Smith-Langa)
- Job title/position: In this field, you can either type in the job title, or position
or select a job title or position.
Type in the job title/position:
Example:
- president will return all officials with a job title or position which includes the word president e.g. Kgalema Motlanthe - President, Baleka Mbete - Deputy President.
Select job title/position: You have the option to select either head or all.
Example:
- head will return the most senior official of organisations/institutions listed in the directory e.g. President, Chairperson, Minister, Chief Executive Officer.
- all will return all officials of organisations/institutions in the directory e.g. Minister, Media Liaison Officer and Private Secretary.
- Institution/organisation
name: In this field you can type in the name of an institution
or organisation name.
Example:
- parliament will return all organisations/institutions with the word parliament in the organisation or institution name. (e.g. Parliament and Library of Parliament).
Results
Find an entry from the results list
In the event of more than 10 entries matching your search criteria or when the official or organisation/institution you are searching for does not appear in the results displayed on the first page, simply go to the following page until you find the listing.
Selecting results and result search options
Click on the selection box next to the result you want further information on. You can select more than one result by simply clicking on another selection box too. Deselect a result by clicking on the selection box again. After selecting the results you want more information on, specify the contact detail options you want, i.e. Mail (postal address); Tel (telephone number); URL (web address); E-mail; Street (physical address); Fax (facsimile number) or All (all the contact details available). Click on the Show detail button to access the contact details required.
Navigate result pages
The default setting for the number of results per page is 10. You can change that to 20, 30, 40 or 50 results per page on the search page. When the search returns more results than the default result setting per page, you can navigate between the results pages by clicking on Next 10 results or Previous 10 results. The number of results from the search is indicated at the top of the page Results 1 - 10 of 100 - in this example the search returned 100 results.
Results list
The results from your search are listed alphabetically and in the case of officials, alphabetically according to the surname. If your search returned officials as well as institutions, the results will first list all the officials and then the institutions
Further searches from the results page
To start a new search from the results page, decide whether you just want to change the current search or if you want to do a new search. In case of changing the current search click on the Change current search button at the top or the bottom of the results page. In case of a new search click on the New search button at the top or the bottom of the results page.
FAQs
When I press Enter after having
typed in a search request, my computer bleeps and the search is
not initialised. Why?
- To start a search please click on the Search button.
How do I
search for a name/surname when I do not know how the exact spelling
thereof?
- You can effect a wild card search by adding an asterisk
(*) at the beginning, end or both ends e.g. *buda*, mabuda* or *fhasi to find mabudafhasi.
How do I
search based on function?
- The function of an official or organisation
is often reflected in the official's title or the organisation's
name. The Job title/position and Organisation/institution
name fields are provided for this reason.
How are accented
characters handled for searches?
- The contact directory does
not provide for accented characters. When searching for an accented
name, just omit the relevant accent, e.g. if you are looking for
a person with the surname Fouché just type in fouche.
My search
failed to find the entry I wanted. Is it missing?
- If the entry
you were looking for appears to be missing, this does not necessarily
mean that it is not present in the directory. Check the spelling
or try a different search field. Please note that not all officials
are listed, but only heads and contact persons as specified by the
specific institution or organisation. For further information about
government you can contact the Information
Centre.
Why does
my search take so long?
- Response times for searches will always
vary depending on network traffic, communication line speeds and
design factors such as firewalls. Other factors that will affect
response times include the number of matches to your search and
the scope of your search (whether you searched only for John or whether you search for John and Smith and requested Include all of the words).
How can I
make my search faster?
- Specify as much information as possible
in the fields and select the Include all of the words option
or use phrases in the Quick search entry field.
When are
the directories updated?
- Updates are implemented twice a day
as the ministries, departments and organisations provide them to
us. The entire contact directory is checked/updated twice a year.
How do I
update our organisation's entry?
- You can request an update
by contacting Watson Kamanga. His contact details are
Tel: (012) 314 2377
Fax: (012) 325 6898
E-mail: watson@gcis.gov.za
Where do
I report errors/omissions?
- If you find errors or omissions,
please contact Watson Kamanga. His contact details are
Tel: (012) 314 2377
Fax: (012) 325 6898
E-mail: watson@gcis.gov.za
How do I
get a printed copy of the directory?
-
You can print the directories (Government Directory, Directory of Contacts and Media Directory), or sections in the directories from
the browse pages or you may contact GCIS for a copy.
Tel: (012) 314 2377
Fax: (012) 325 6898
E-mail: watson@gcis.gov.za
How do I
get an electronic version?
- You can download the directories (Government Directory, Directory of Contacts and Media Directory) or sections in the directories from
the browse pages.
What versions
of Internet web browsers are supported; Why are the search results
blank or indicate a script error ?
- The online contact directory
has been tested and confirmed to work with Microsoft Internet Explorer
version 7.0 and above. If you are using an older version of this
browser, or another product, we cannot guarantee that the online
search function will work as expected. Check your version of web
browser and if it is a lower version than that indicated above,
you should upgrade. This will enable you to use the online search
function on this website. For information about upgrading browsers
visit Microsoft
Internet Explorer.
Why do my
search return names of officials when I search for an institution's
name in the Quick search? (e.g. When I search for education it returns the name of e.g. Nomsa
Jajula )
- The Quick search searches over the
complete directory. This means that the word education will not only be found in an organisation field, but also when the
word education forms
part of e.g. a job title/position (in this case MEC
for Education). The results will then first display the name
of the official filling that position. The organisation names containing
the word education will then be displayed at the end of the search result list.
Explaining the search page
Each number is a link to that element's definition:
1. Quick search: Quick search allows you to search for the name or part of the name of an official, an institution/organisation or a job title/position by typing in a few descriptive words or phrases in the same field.
2. Help: Links to a page that gives you advice on how to use the search.
3. Quick search field: The field where you can type in words or phrases to do a quick search.
4. Quick search button: The button to click on to initiate a quick search.
5. Advanced search: Advanced search allows you to do a specific search across specific fields by typing in the name or surname of an official, an institution/organisation or a job title/position.
6. First name of official field: The field to type in the first name or part of a first name of an official you are looking for.
7. Surname of official field: The field to type in the surname or part of a surname of an official you are looking for.
8. Type in job title/position field: The field to type in the job title or position of an official you are looking for.
9. Select job title/position field: The field to select the job title or position of an official you are looking for.
10. Institution/organisation name field: The field to type in the name, acronym or part of the name of an institution or organisation you are looking for.
11. Search must include any of the selected criteria: This option looks for search results that include either one or both of the words you typed into the search fields.
12. Search must include all of the selected criteria: This option is the default option. This option searches for results that match all of the words you require.
13. Results per page: The default setting provides 10 results, which is the fastest. However, you can increase the number of results displayed per page to 20, 30, 40 or 50.
14. Advanced search button: The button to click on to initiate an advanced search.
15. Clear button : The button to click on to empty your search form or to clear your previous criteria.
16. Browse the contact database: When you are not exactly sure which search terms to use, you may find it easier to browse the contact directory database.
17. Print or download contact directories or lists: You can also print or download the complete directories, specific categories from the contact directories or lists (selected contact information that can be printed or downloaded as complete documents).
Explaining the search results page
Each number is a link to that element's definition:
1. Change current search button: The button to click on when you want to change the current criteria of your search
2. New search button: The button to click on when you want to do a new or different search. All previous search criteria will be cleared.
3. Print this page: The button to click on when you want to print the results from your search without the navigation and banner of the website.
4. You searched for ' ': The criteria you searched for are indicated in single quotes.
5. Results 1 - 10 of 100: '1 - 10' indicates that the first 10 results from your search are displayed The default result setting per page is 10. You can change that option to 20, 30, 40 or 50 per page on the search page. The 'of 100' indicates 100 results from your search were returned.
6. First select a result(s) and then choose an option: You have to indicate which results you would like further information on.
7. [1]: This is the result number.
8. 
: Click on this selection box if you want further information on this
result. You can select more than one result - simply click on another
selection box. Deselect a result by clicking on the selection box
again.
9. Surname, First name, Title OR Institution/organisation: The results from your search are listed alphabetically and in the case of an official alphabetically according to the surname.
10. Next 10 results AND Previous 10 results: The default result setting per page is 10. You can change that option to 20, 30, 40 or 50 per page on the search page. When there are more results than the result setting per page you have chosen, you can navigate the results pages by clicking on Next 10 results or Previous 10 results.
11. Options: After selecting the results you want more information on you must also specify what information you want i.e. Mail (postal address); Tel (telephone number); URL (web address); E-mail; Street (physical address); Fax (facsimile number) or All (all the contact details available).
12. Show detail button: After having selected the results and the options, click on the Show detail button to access the contact details requested.
Explaining the search results contact detail page
Each number is a link to that element's definition:
1. Back to results list: The button to click on when you want to return to the results page of your current search.
2. Change current search button: The button to click on when you want to change the criteria of your current search
3. New search button: The button to click on when you want to do a new or different search.
4. Print this page: The button to click on when you want to print the contact detail from your search without including the navigation and banner of the website.
5. Institution or organisation: The name of the institution or organisation relevant to your search criteria.
6. URL (web address): The URL or web address of the organisation. Please note that a person usually does not have a web address, only the institution or organisation.
7. Mail: The postal address of the institution/organisation or official.
8. Street: The physical address of the institution/organisation or official.
9. Tel: The telephone number(s) of the institution/organisation or official.
10. Fax: The facsimile number(s) of the institution/organisation or official.
11. E-mail: The e-mail address of the institution/organisation or official.
12. Job title/position: The job title or position of the official.
13. Name: The title, first name and surname of the official.
Error messages
Search returned zero results, please check spelling or search term/s.
If this message is displayed, one of the following is possible:
- The search term is not available in the directory
- You could have made a spelling mistake. Please check.
- Search terms were entered incorrectly. Please see the descriptions of How to enter a search term under Quick search and Advanced search respectively.
- You could have used the wrong search field.
- Make sure that you clicked on the relevant Search button.
Please select an option
If this message is displayed, one of the following is possible:
- You did not select one or more results from the results list. Select results by clicking in the selection boxes next to the relevant result.
- You did not select an option. Indicate which contact details you want, by selecting an option.
