The South African Police Service said it has logged more than 185,000 applications for just 5,500 trainee-officer positions since opening its first fully electronic recruitment drive this week. More than 67,000 submissions were filed within the first 24 hours, and the online careers portal continues to experience heavy traffic, the service added. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said women account for about 105,000 of the applications, with Gauteng leading provincial demand at roughly 53,000. KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape follow with between 19,000 and 30,000 candidates each. The rush underscores South Africa’s jobs crisis, where unemployment among people aged 15-34 hovers near 46%. The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) welcomed the enthusiasm but warned that the volume of interest reflects deep economic desperation among young people. SAPS urged applicants to remain patient as the digital platform processes the backlog. Successful candidates will join the Basic Police Learning Development Training Programme, part of the government’s effort to bolster frontline policing while offering limited relief to the country’s high youth-joblessness rate.