Personal Assistant in South Africa

Generally, in South Africa, among Personal Assistants, early career Personal Assistants tend to have the lowest salaries, while more experienced Executive PAs within large multi-national companies enjoy the highest salaries.

How much is a personal assistant paid in South Africa?

In South Africa, the average basic salary for a Personal Assistant in SA is around R 13 829 gross per month (R 165 900 gross per year), which is 41% lower than the South Africa’s national average salary. Salary Ranges: a Personal Assistant can expect an average starting salary of R 7 362. However, the highest salaries could actually exceed R 35 090.

How much do executive personal assistants earn in South Africa?

In South Africa, the average “executive personal assistant” salary is R 300 000 per year or R 154 per hour. Entry-level positions start at R 214 502 per year, while most experienced workers make up to R 3 948 745 per year.

How do I become a personal assistant in South Africa?

In order to become a Personal Assistant (PA) in South Africa, you will have to work closely with directors or managerial staff, depending on where you choose to work. Furthermore, you will be involved in managing all secretarial duties, perform administrative support and whoever you assist, you’ll need to keep their work the right way up. Then, you will liaise with others in the organization and externally. Becoming a PA can be rewarding as you assist high capacity people.

How can I get a job as a personal assistant in South Africa?

In South Africa, you can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working your way into the role
• Specialist courses run by private training organizations.

What are the Major Skills required to be a personal Assistant in South Africa?

The following are important skills you need to have to become a personal assistant in South Africa:

• Administration skills.
• To be thorough and pay attention to detail.
• The ability to work well with others.
• To be flexible and open to change.
• Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Knowledge of English language.
• Business management skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• To be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently.

How do I prepare for a personal assistant interview?

The following are Personal Assistant Interview Questions you should look out for:

• Why do you think you would be a valuable PA for our company?

Possible response: Give some qualities or skills that makes you stand out as the best applicant for position. Most importantly, show proofs that you can multi-task well in order to manage a busy workload effectively. State your previous experiences and achievements.

• What motivates you most about being a PA?

Possible response: State how the Job Description of a Personal assistant challenges you and how you challenges motivate or makes you a better person.

• How do you prioritize tasks and organize your day as a PA?

Possible response:  Mention skills, like a good memory, ability to work under pressure, then being organized which is a very important quality of Personal assistant.