How Much Do Event Planners Charge in South Africa: A Pricing Guide
Event planning is a lucrative career path for South Africans. With the country’s booming tourism sector and the technological innovations that have become commonplace in the workplace, event planners can charge top rates for their services. In fact, according to Skillset, a job as an event planner yields an annual salary of R91900 on average. This means that there are plenty of opportunities for those who are willing to put in the time and energy needed to succeed in this field. However, with so many competing event planners out there looking to make a name for themselves, it can be challenging to break into the field. Fortunately, we’ve done all the research so you don’t have to. This pricing guide outlines how much event planners charge in South Africa based on different factors like location, size of event and more.
How Much Does an Event Planner Charge in South Africa?
The first thing you need to know when pricing services is that there is no standard price for the same products and/or services in the same location. While event planners charge different rates in different locations, the industry standard in South Africa is around R10,000-R15,000 for per hour (full day). So, how does this pricing compare to other countries? According to a survey by EventsBZ, the average price per hour of an event planner across the globe ranges between US$0.84 and US$1.32. This means that event planners in South Africa charge in the medium range while those in the United States charge in the high range.
Location
Another huge factor that impacts the price of an event is location. While event planners charge the same rates in Johannesburg as they do in Cape Town, they will charge you significantly more in the Western Cape than in Gauteng. This is because Gauteng has a larger population and volumes of events are higher, so the supply and demand are balanced better. If you’re planning an event in the Western Cape, you can expect to pay between R8,000 and R12,000 for a full day. On the other hand, if you’re planning an event in Gauteng, you can expect to pay between R6,000 and R8,000 for a full day.
Size of Event
Two factors determine the price of an event in South Africa: the size of the event and the location of the event. If you plan a small event, like a seminar for your company, you can expect to pay between R5,000 and R8,000 for a full day of service. If you work with a large event organizer, like the one handling the Games in Rio, the prices will vary depending on the services they need. If the event is big, like a conference, or it’s in a unique location, like the Cape Town City Bowl, you can expect to pay between R10,000 and R15,000 for a full day of service. On average, event planners charge between R13,500 and R15,500 in South Africa.
Event Management Services (EMS)
Event management services, or EMS, are a service that event planners charge for when they are hired by a client. This means that the event planner has a certain percentage of the profits from the event. EMS is usually charged in 5% increments, ranging from 10% to 85%. A 10% fee means that you will receive 10%, the event organizer will receive 90% and 10% will go to the organizer’s company for expenses. Event management services can be calculated differently, depending on the size of the event. For example, if you are planning a conference with 100 attendees, the price of event management services would be R5,000. However, if the conference has 10,000 attendees, the price of the services would be R50,000.
Audio-visual services
Audio-visual services, also known as AV, are the costs that event planners charge when they are hired by a client to create the AV content for an event. These costs range from R5,000 to R10,000 for a single day of AV services. Generally, if you are hiring an audio-visual contractor, you should expect to pay between R15,000 and R20,000 for a full day of AV services. However, if you hire audio-visual companies that handle events, they will charge you less than if they don’t have any events to manage.
Consulting Services
Consulting services, also known as access services, allow event planners to request a consultation with clients when they are hired by them. This is a common practice in Africa and is not illegal, so event planners don’t have to justify why they are charging for it. Depending on the size of the event and the fee you agree to pay, consulting services can range from R5,000 to R10,000. On average, consulting services charge between R7,500 and R10,000.
Total Event Planners Salary in South Africa
As you can see from the data above, location and the size of the event are huge factors when determining the price of an event in South Africa. In addition, the type of event and the level of detail in the plans will also impact the price. So, how much will you make as an event planner in South Africa? The industries that charge the most are the hospitality and tourism industries, which are booming in the country. The average salary for event planners working in these industries is R91900 per year. Event planners who work in the retail and banking industries, on the other hand, earn the least. In fact, the salary for event planners working in these industries is only R7700 per year.
Conclusion
Event planning is an exciting and lucrative career path, but it can be challenging to break into. Fortunately, we’ve done all the research so you don’t have to. This pricing guide outlines how much event planners charge in South Africa based on different factors like location, size of event and more.
