Launching July 2026 · South Africa

Stop getting rejected
for jobs
you can do. ProofWork pays you to prove it.

South Africa's first outcome-based work-readiness marketplace. Gain paid, verifiable work experience through real business projects — and build a portfolio employers cannot ignore.

Apply for a Proof Project I'm a business →

2,800+ young professionals already on the waitlist

Thabo M.
@thabom · Johannesburg
verified
CRM Setup & Data Migration — Cape Town E-Commerce SME
0
Days
0
Records
0
Employer score
github.com/thabom
● verified
toggl · 168hrs logged
● verified
ProofWork Score
96 / 100
4.6M

Unemployed young South Africans — many with qualifications, none with a chance to prove themselves

45.8%

Youth unemployment in South Africa — one of the highest rates in the world (Stats SA Q1 2026)

4–6wk

Every Proof Project — enough to deliver a real outcome, earn a completion fee, and get a verified reference

15min

To complete your skills assessment and get matched to your first paid Proof Project

The problem
Employers demand experience.
Nobody gives you the chance
to get it.

Source: Stats SA QLFS Q1 2026 · Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator

  • Qualifications don't equal opportunity

    Thousands of graduates produced yearly in SA — yet employers keep rejecting them for lacking experience they were never given the chance to earn.

  • CVs show duties, not capability

    A traditional CV lists what you were asked to do — not whether you delivered. ProofWork replaces it with a portfolio of verified, completed outcomes.

  • SMEs can't access affordable digital talent

    Small businesses need CRM setup, campaigns, data management and AI tools — but can't afford full-time hires or agency fees. The talent exists. The bridge doesn't.

How it works

Six steps from
potential to proof.

Step 01

Skills Assessment

Complete a 20-minute skills and readiness assessment. We evaluate your strengths and digital capabilities to ensure every match is the right one.

Step 02

Project Matching

Matched to a business based on your skills, interests, and location. Every project has defined deliverables, a clear timeline, and a completion fee.

Step 03

Proof Project Delivery

Complete a structured 4–6 week project for a real business. Real brief, real deliverables, real impact — not simulated experience in a classroom.

Step 04

Verification

ProofWork independently validates completion and quality. Employer feedback, outcome evidence, and a verified rating are attached to your profile permanently.

Step 05

Proof Portfolio

Completed work added to your shareable digital Proof Portfolio — with certification badges and employer references that carry far more weight than a CV.

Step 06

Employment Pathways

Businesses hire participants full-time, offer further projects, or recommend them across their network. Your proof opens doors that a CV never could.

SprintProof Launch Sprints™

Real projects.
Real outcomes.

Every Proof Project is scoped around a specific business deliverable — not general 'experience'.

  • CRM Setup & Migration
    4–6 weeks
  • Social Media Campaign
    4–5 weeks
  • Inventory Digitisation
    5–6 weeks
  • AI Workflow Implementation
    4–6 weeks
  • Marketing Content Creation
    4–5 weeks
  • Data Cleaning & Analysis
    4–6 weeks
  • Reporting Dashboard Build
    5–6 weeks
  • Customer Service Optimisation
    4–5 weeks
  • Radio Production Sprint
    4–5 weeks
  • Television Content Production
    5–6 weeks
  • PR & Media Relations
    4–5 weeks
  • Animation & Motion Design
    5–6 weeks
  • Graphic Design & Branding
    4–5 weeks
  • Journalism & Editorial
    4–5 weeks
  • Advertising Campaign
    4–6 weeks
Who it's built for

Two sides.
One platform.

For young professionals

Stop applying.
Start proving.

You have the qualification and the drive. ProofWork gives you the paid opportunity to demonstrate it — and a verified portfolio that speaks louder than any CV.

  • Earn a completion fee for every Proof Project you finish
  • Build a verified digital portfolio of real business outcomes
  • Receive ProofWork certification badges employers trust
  • Get genuine employer references — not just lecturer signatures
  • Develop the AI-era skills your generation will be hired for
Apply for a Proof Project
For businesses (SMEs)

Get work done.
Without the risk.

Access affordable, pre-vetted digital talent for specific business outcomes — without permanent hiring risk, agency fees, or lengthy recruitment processes.

  • Pre-vetted, skills-assessed talent ready to deliver
  • Projects scoped around your specific business needs
  • No permanent hire risk — test talent before committing
  • Fraction of the cost of a full-time employee or agency
  • ProofWork verifies deliverables and quality at completion
Transparent Pricing
Three phases. You only pay once the work is delivered and approved.
1
Launch Phase FREE — Jul to Oct 2026
No fees. No commission. The first 10–20 SMEs post projects at no cost. ProofWork earns nothing — this is investment in proof of concept.
2
Commission Model Nov 2026+
20% commission on project value, paid on successful completion only. You pay nothing if the work isn't delivered to standard.
3
Subscription Tiers 2027
Optional monthly plans for high-volume SMEs, with reduced commission rates for subscribers.
What projects cost (from Nov 2026)
Entry Projects R3,000 – R5,000 + R600–R1,000 ProofWork fee
Social Media Campaign · Journalism & Editorial · Customer Service Optimisation · Email Marketing Campaign · SEO & Content Sprint
Standard Projects R6,000 – R10,000 + R1,200–R2,000 ProofWork fee
Graphic Design & Branding · PR & Media Relations · Advertising Campaign · Data Analysis & Reporting · CRM Setup & Data Migration · Radio Production Sprint · Digital Marketing Strategy
Premium Projects R10,000 – R20,000 + R2,000–R4,000 ProofWork fee
Animation & Motion Design · Television Content Production · AI Tools Integration
Project values are based on South African freelance market rates (SAFREA 2025/2026). Final project fees are agreed between the SME and ProofWork at scoping stage.
Right now, it's completely free. Be among the first SA businesses to access work-ready talent at no cost during our launch phase.
Post your first project
Why ProofWork

Experience over credentials.
Outcomes over activity.

We occupy the critical space between learning and employment — and we're the only platform built to verify what actually happened there.

Verified outcomes

Completed work is more valuable than claimed experience

Every Proof Project is independently validated. Employer feedback, time logs, and deliverable evidence are cross-referenced before a badge is issued. Nothing here is self-reported.

Access over privilege

Talent should not be limited by geography or networks

A graduate in Limpopo has the same access to Proof Projects as one in Cape Town. We route projects by skills and fit — not by who you know or where you went to school.

Learning through doing

The fastest way to become employable is to solve real problems

Our SprintProof framework is built around genuine business challenges — not simulated tasks. You learn by delivering. That's the only kind of learning that shows up in an interview.

Growth pathway

Every project is a step toward permanent employment

Businesses hire participants full-time, commission further projects, or refer them through their networks. ProofWork tracks your trajectory and surfaces you to employers ready to hire.

I sent my ProofWork portfolio instead of a CV.
The business offered me a full-time role on the last day of the project.

Thabo M.
CRM Proof Project · Johannesburg · Now full-time
Launching July 2026

Don't tell employers
what you can do.
Show them.

Join 2,800+ young professionals and SMEs already on the ProofWork waitlist. Free to join. First come, first matched.

Apply as Talent Post a Project

Free to join · No card required · Refer 3 people to move up the queue

From the Blog

The Work-Readiness
Playbook

View all posts →
01
For Talent

How to Get a Job With No Experience in South Africa

45.8% of South African youth are unemployed. The traditional CV isn't working. Here's a practical guide to breaking in.

June 2026 · 7 min Read →
02
For SMEs

Why CVs Don't Predict Job Performance

Decades of research confirm what most hiring managers suspect: a polished CV tells you very little about who can actually do the job.

June 2026 · 6 min Read →
03
Research

South Africa's Youth Unemployment Crisis: What the Data Says

With 45.8% of young people unemployed as of Q1 2026, we break down what's driving it — and what can actually change it.

June 2026 · 8 min Read →