Careers in The Services Sector

About the Sector

The cleaning services subsector includes the provision of cleaning services to individuals, households and businesses (contract cleaning). There are many types of cleaning services offered in the industry. Some of them are specialised. Other companies in this subsector specialise in the provision of cleaning equipment and supplies required to clean effectively. The overriding objective in the cleaning industry is meeting and maintaining good hygiene and sanitary standards to promote the health and well-being of everyone in the country.

The cleaning sub-sector provides services for other sectors such as the Health, Agriculture, Chemical Industries, Property, Tourism and Hospitality.

Types of Services in the Cleaning Industry:

• General cleaning services
• Cleaning of carpets and upholstery
• Industrial cleaning
• Pet care cleaning
• Health care cleaning
• Vehicle cleaning
• Aircraft cleaning
• Trauma/crime scene cleaning
• Cleaning at height (for example, cleaning of windows for high-rise buildings)
• Cleaning equipment and consumable supply (cleaning products)
• Dry cleaning and laundering
• Garden maintenance
• Domestic services

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: Hygiene and Cleaning Supervision (NQF Level 3)
• GETC: Hygiene and Cleaning (NQF Level 1)
• National Certificate: Specialist Hygiene and Cleaning Services(NQF Level 2)

Recommended Subjects

• English and Home Language
• Life Orientation

Employment Opportunities

• Cleaning Services Manager
• Commercial Cleaning
• Domestic Cleaner
• Dry Cleaner
• Healthcare Cleaner

About the Sector

A Contact Centre is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving or transmitting a large volume of requests by phone. An inbound call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outbound call centres are operated for telemarketing, solicitation of charitable or political donations, debt collection and market research.

A contact centre, also known as customer interaction centre, is a central point of any organisation from which all customer contacts are managed. Through contact centres, valuable information about the company are routed to appropriate people, contacts to be tracked and data to be gathered. It is generally a part of company’s customer relationship management (CRM). Today, customers contact companies by phone, email, online chat, fax, and instant message.

Working in a call centre requires discipline to follow a flexible schedule, communication skills and the ability to multitask. You will have to help customers while following your company’s policies and you will need to build up character to deal with irate and difficult customers. You need to be comfortable with most desktop environments and have the skill to type fast and accurately on a computer.

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: Contact Centre (NQF Level 2)
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Contact Centre Operations (NQF Level 4)
• National Diploma: Contact Centre Management (NQF Level 5)
• National Certificate: Contact Centre and Business Process Outsourcing Support (NQF Level 3)

Recommended Subjects

• English Literacy

Employment Opportunities

• Call or Contact Centre Agent
• Call Or Contact Centre Manager

Marketing is the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers in order to sell that product or service. It includes market research & advertising.

Marketing can be considered as an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, delivering and communicating value to customers and managing customer relationships in ways that also benefit the organisation and its shareholders.

Marketing is the science of defining target markets through market analysis and market segmentation, as well as understanding consumer buying behaviour and providing superior customer value.

The 6 Competing Concepts are:

• Production concept.
• Product concept.
• Sales concept.
• Marketing concept.
• Societal marketing concept.
• Holistic marketing concept.

The Four Components of Holistic Marketing are:

• Relationship marketing.
• Internal marketing.
• Integrated marketing.
• socially responsive marketing.

The set of engagements necessary for successful marketing management includes capturing marketing insights, connecting with customers, building strong brands, shaping market offerings, delivering and communicating value, creating long-term growth, and developing marketing.

Registered Qualifications

• Further Education and Training Certificate: Marketing (NQF Level 4)
• National Diploma in Marketing Research (NQF Level 5)
• National Diploma in Marketing Research (NQF Level 7)
• National Diploma in Marketing Communication (NQF Level 5)
• National Diploma in Marketing Communication (NQF Level 7)
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Public Relations (NQF Level 4)
• National Diploma in Public Relations Practice (NQF Level 5)
• National Diploma in Public Relations Practice (NQF Level 5)
• National Certificate in Customer Management (NQF Level 5)
• National Diploma in Customer Management (NQF Level 7)
• National Diploma in Marketing Management (NQF Level 5)
• Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Trade and Exhibitions (NQF Level 4)
• National Certificate: Trade Exhibition Support (NQF Level 3)
• National Diploma in Marketing Management (NQF Level 7)
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Fundraising (NQF Level 4)
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Interior Design (NQF Level 4)

Recommended Subjects

English Literacy

Employment Opportunities

• Marketing Coordinator
• Marketing Practitioner
• Market Research Analyst
• Sales And Marketing Manager
• Advertising And Public Relations Manager

The South African Postal Services delivers billions of pieces of mail, including letters, bills, advertisement and packages. To do this in an efficient and timely manner, the Postal Service employs many individuals. Most postal service workers are clerks, mail sorters and processing machine operators.

Postal clerks wait on customers at the post offices.

Mail sorters, processors and processing machine operators sort incoming and outgoing mail at post offices and mail processing centres. Mail carriers deliver to urban and rural residences and businesses throughout South Africa.

Registered Qualifications

• Further Education and Training Certificate: Postal Frontline Service (NQF Level 4)
• National Certificate: Postal Frontline Management (NQF Level 5)
• National Certificate: Mail Handling (NQF Level 3)
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Mail Supervision (NQF Level 4)

Recommended Subjects

• English Literacy
• Maths Literacy

Employment Opportunities

• Courier
• Mail Clerk
• Post Office Manager
• Postal Delivery Officer

Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening and selecting a qualified person for a job. The South African employment industry drives the existence of a large, dynamic recruitment industry, providing a wide range of services to a very large pool of new entrants, re-entrants, job leavers and others who have lost their jobs. Below are industries represented under this subsector:

Permanent Employment Agencies

These are employment agencies that match employers to employees for permanent positions or vacancies.

Labour Recruitment and Provision of Staff

This class includes personnel search, selection referral and placement in connection with employment supplied to the potential employer or to the prospective employee. The recruiter is also responsible for formulation of job descriptions, screening and testing of applicants, investigation of references and so on. This industry also boasts executive search and placement activities (head-hunters).

Private Employment Agencies and Temporary Employment Services

This means any natural or juristic person who procures or provides services for an employer.

Personnel Services Agencies

These include the recruitment, screening and sometimes training of new employees. These agencies are often outsourced to provide personnel services to organisations that may not have time or resources to fulfil their own staffing requirements.

The firms providing personnel services are also referred to as employment agencies or head-hunters, and range from global franchises to smaller, independent agencies. Some agencies specialise in erecruiting temporary personnel for organisations that only require an employee on an interim basis.

Temporary Employment Services

Temporary agencies are employment agencies that find employees to fill short-term temporary jobs. Most of the workers employed by Temporary Employment Services fall in the range of sales and service workers and usually under the youth category.

The Temporary Employment Sector absorbs young people at a far greater rate in the overall labour market than other sectors. Most of young people employed by Temporary Employment Services are absorbed either in medium or low-skilled occupations.

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: Labour Recruitment Consultancy (NQF Level 4)
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Labour Recruitment Services (NQF Level 4)

Recommended Subjects

• English
• Computer Literacy

Employment Opportunities

• Labour Recruitment Manager
• Labour Recruitment Consultant
• Recruitment Manager

The following industries are represented under this sub-sector:

Bargaining Councils

These organisations facilitate the negotiation process between unified employees (typically trade unions) and employers. A bargaining council must be registered with the Department of Labour and should comprise one or more registered trade unions and one or more registered employer organisations. Their responsibility is to:

• Make and enforce collective agreements.
• Prevent and resolve labour disputes.
• Establish and manage a dispute resolution fund.
• Promote and establish training and education schemes.
• Establish and manage schemes or funds to benefit its parties or members.
• Make and submit proposals on policies and laws that affect a sector or area.

Typically, bargaining councils are mandated o ensure compliance to conditions of employment and dispute resolution within the industries they operate. Therefore, practitioners in the industry need to possess comprehensive knowledge and experience with regards to Collective Agreements, Labour Relations Act, Employment Act, and other related legislations. At the same time, they should also be able to provide high levels of customer service and sales aptitude. It is a highly legal environment that requires potential employees to possess diverse skills to make bargaining councils more dynamic. Candidates need to have a post-matric qualification, a passion for working with people and a thorough knowledge of the legal environment.

Associations, Federations, Umbrella Bodies and Professional Bodies

These bodies consist of a group of associated persons who meet from time to time because of common interests, objectives or profession. There could also be organisations representing interests of special groups or promoting ideas to the general public. These organisations typically have a constituency of members, but their activities may involve and benefit non-members as well.

It also includes:

• Activities of organisations whose members’ interests centre on the development and prosperity of enterprises in a particular line of business or trade, or on the economic growth and climate of a particular geographical area or political subdivision without regard for the line of business.
• Dissemination of information, representation before government agencies, public relations and labour negotiations of business and employer organisations.
• Activities of associations of specialists engaged in cultural activities, such as associations of writers, painters, performers of various kinds, journalists and so on.
• Professional Bodies Non-profit organisation aiming to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession as well as the public interest.
• Activities of professional organisations
• Setting an assessment of professional examinations.
• Providing support for Continuing Professional Development through learning opportunities and tools for recording and planning.
• Publishing professional journals or magazines.
• Providing networks for professionals to meet and discuss their field of expertise.
• Issuing a Code of Conduct to guide professional behaviour.
• Dealing with complaints against professionals and implement disciplinary procedure.

Registered Qualifications

• National Diploma: Labour Relations Practice (NQF Level 5)
• National Certificate: Labour Relations Practice (NQF Level 6)

Recommended Subjects

• English
• Computer Literacy

Employment Opportunities

• Secretary Bargaining Council
• Trade Union Representative
• Workplace/industrial Relations Advisor
• Labour Relations Case Administrator

Generic Project Management

Generic Project Management provides common standards for projects to be conducted in a disciplined, well-managed and consistent manner, and to be completed on time and within budget. Large, complex projects require a more rigorous application of management processes than small, well-defined projects with readily achievable goals.

Event and conference management excluding the operation of convention centres

Event management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audience, devising an event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating technical aspects before launching the actual event. Post-event analysis and ensuring a return on investment are a priority for the event management industry.

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: Project Support Services NQF L3
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Project Management NQF L4
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Project Support Services NQF L4
• National Certificate: Project Management NQF L5
• National Diploma: Project Management NQF L5
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Event Support NQF L3

Recommended Subjects

• English
• Mathematical Literacy
• Computer Literacy

Employment Opportunities

• Project administrator
• Project coordinator
• Events manager

Under this sub-sector there are quite a number of industries represented ranging from quality, NGO management, general consulting and many others. Below is a list of all industries represented:

Imports and Export of Various Metals

This includes imports of coal, fuel and components such as raw materials. Products include steel plates, hot-rolled steel sheets, square steel, round steel, wire, cable and ferrosilicon. Some materials include copper, aluminium, brass, stainless steel, computers and metals.

Other Recreational Services

This refers to activities that facilitate refreshment of one’s mind or body after work. These activities can be communal or solitary, active or passive, and can be done indoors or outdoors. They include activities such as listening to music, gardening, hunting, swimming, hiking and travelling.

Other Service Activities

Any business enterprise with the primary purpose of providing personal services. Personal-service activities encompass a wide range of professions, including law, medicine, engineering, design, finance, accounting and even performing arts.

NGO Management and Services

This includes the management of any non-profit, voluntary citizens group at a local, national or international level. This field attracts task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest. NGOs perform a variety of services and humanitarian functions, bring citizens’ concerns to governments, advocate and monitor policies and encourage political participation through provision of information. Some champion specific concerns such as human rights, environment or health. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early-warning mechanisms and help monitor and implement international agreements.

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: New Venture Creation (NQF Level 4)
• National Certificate: New Venture Creation (SMME) NQF Level 2
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Business Administration Services NQF Level 4
• National Certificate: Business Administration Services NQF Level 3
• National Certificate: Business Administration Services NQF Level 2
• National Certificate: Business Admin istration Service NQF Level 4
• National Certificate: Business Advising (Information Support) NQF Level 4
• National Certificate: Business Consulting Practice(Enterprise Resource Planning)NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Generic Management: Customer Management NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Generic Management: Strategic Management NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Organisational Transformation and Change Management NQF Level 5
• Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Trade Exhibitions NQF Level 4
• Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Trade Exhibitions NQF Level 4
• Further Education and Training Certificate: End User (ERP) NQF Level 4
• General Education and Training Certificate: Business Practice NQF Level 1
• National Certificate: Project Management NQF Level 5
• National Diploma: Project Management NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Project Support Service NQF Level 3
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Project Support Service NQF Level 4
• National Certificate: Business Advising NQF Level 6
• National Certificate: Advising Business NQF Level 5
• National Diploma: Business Consulting Practice NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Governance and Administration NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Trade Exhibition Support NQF Level 3
• National Diploma: Organisational Transformation and Change Management NQF Level 5
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Administration Management Generic Management: Occupational Business Manager NQF Level 4
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Generic Management: Occupational Office Manager NQF Level 4
• National Certificate: Generic Management General Management NQF Level 5
• National Certificate: Quality Management Systems NQF Level 5
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Payroll Administration Service NQF Level 4
• National Diploma: Payroll Administration Services NQF Level 5
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Payroll Administration Services NQF Level 4

Recommended Subjects

• Communication at NQF Level 3.
• Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 3.
• Computer Literacy at NQF Level 3.
• Communication in a Second South African Language at NQF Level 2.

Employment Opportunities

• Business Administrator
• Receptionist
• Personal Assistance
• Office Manager
• Secretary
• Payroll Clerk
• Payroll Manager
• Customer Service Manager

A beauty therapist specialises in beauty treatments for the face and body and is responsible for helping clients make the most of their physical appearance and more importantly help clients to feel less stressed and more confident. The beauty industry is constantly evolving and developing and there is a constant flow of new products and services introduced to the market place. The number of new salons and spas opening illustrates the enthusiasm in this industry, and as a result, many exciting job opportunities have become available. Extensive knowledge of the body is required, specifically the anatomy and physiology of the skin along with the products used. A beauty therapist knows the different types of body massages and facials. A nail technician knows how to do different applications on the nails of a person such as acrylic gel and nail painting etc.

Registered Qualifications:

• Further Education and Training Certificate: Beauty and Nail Technology (NQF Level 4);
• Certificate: Beauty Salon Manager (NQF Level 4);
• Certificate: Beauty Care and Modelling (NQF Level 4);
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Beauty Consultancy (NQF Level 4);
• Certificate: Body Treatments (NQF Level 5);
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Nail Technology (NQF Level 4);
• Certificate: Beauty Therapy (NQF Level 5);
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Beauty Therapy (NQF Level 5);
• National Diploma: Health and Skincare (NQF Level 5).

Recommended Subjects:

• English literacy;
• Mathematics;
• Life sciences.

Employment Opportunities:

• Body therapist;
• Make-up artist;
• Massage therapist;
• Nail technician;
• Skin care therapist.

Within the Services SETA, fashion and modelling is made up of modelling agencies and fashion design. A modelling agency is a company that represents fashion models to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income through a commission, usually from the deals with the model and/or the head agency. Modelling agencies train models, get test shoots, layout portfolios, and put together composition photo cards and other printed materials models need to market themselves in the industry. They find work for models by presenting them to designers, photographers, and advertising agencies. The agencies are also responsible for booking the jobs, billing for the jobs and eventually paying the models for their time. The industry is very competitive and fast-paced. Modelling agencies generally work round the clock, handling emergencies such as cancellations or rush jobs. Fashion designers begin their careers as apprentices to professionals with more experience in the field, working as pattern makers or sketching assistants. After acquiring more experience in the field, the apprentices eventually become supervisors and even chief designers for big fashion houses.

Registered Qualification

The Services SETA has not yet developed qualifications for modelling agencies and fashion design not related to clothing sub-sector. However, private and public institutions of higher learning normally require newcomers to have at least a matric as a prerequisite for entering the field.

Recommended Subjects

• English
• Mathematics

Employment Opportunities

• Fashion Design
• Fashion Model

Funeral practices and rites vary greatly along cultural and religious lines. Although the South African population is diverse, funeral practices usually share some common elements: transferring the deceased to a mortuary, preparing the body of the deceased for burial, performing a ceremony honouring the deceased and addressing the spiritual needs of the family and, finally, carrying out final interment. Funeral practitioners arrange and direct these activities for grieving families. The actual interment is carried out in various ways or methods, depending on the cultural beliefs and values of the family of the deceased. These include natural burial, a process of returning a body to earth so it could decompose naturally, over time, underground. Then there is cremation, which is the use of high-temperature burning, vaporisation and oxidation to reduce the dead human body to basic chemical compounds such as gases and mineral fragments. There is still embalming or mummification, which entails the inclusion of personal items such as jewellery and positioning the body of the deceased in a manner demonstrating respect and adherence to the deceased’s religious beliefs. All this work is done by morticians, a viable career many young South Africans would be well advised to consider.

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: Funeral Services Practice NQF Level 3
• National Certificate: Funeral Services Practice NQF Level 4
• National Diploma: Funeral Services Practice NQF Level 5
• Occupational Certificate: Mortician (NQF Level 03)

Recommended Subjects

• English Literacy
• Biblical Studies

Employment Opportunities

• Crematorium Operator
• Chapel or Memorial Attendant
• Embalmer
• Funeral Director
• Mortician
• Mortuary Technician

Hairdressing is a trade. After a learner has undergone theoretical and practical training, he or she needs to obtain workplace experience for a specified period before he or she is eligible to write a trade test. After garnering enough experience in the workplace, a learner can then apply for a trade test which, if successful, gets he or she to be registered as a qualified artisan under the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Registered Qualifications

• National Certificate: Hairdressing at NQF Level 2
• National Certificate: Hairdressing at NQF Level 3
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Hairdressing at NQF Level 4
• Occupational Certificate: Hairdresser at NQF Level 4

Recommended Subjects

• English
• Mathematics

Employment Opportunities

• Hairdresser
• Hair or Beauty Salon Assistant
• Salon Manager

Image consultants are professionals clients (companies or individuals) hire to assess, improve, enhance, upgrade their appearance to ensure their image corresponds with their roles and goals in life. An image consultant assists people develop a professional or updated appearance. The areas of specialisation include personal stylist, personal shopper, identity coach, fashion stylist, corporate stylist, retail Image, shopping consultant, social etiquette and public speaking. Most of these practitioners are self-employed and spend a great deal of time marketing themselves and finding new clients. Opportunities for starting your own business and be independent are very high. Internationally, people in this position typically have relevant formal training and certifications offered by accredited skills development providers and some image consulting associations.

Registered Qualification

The Services SETA has not yet developed qualifications for image consulting. However, we are in the process of registering an occupation on the Organising Framework of Occupations (OFO), which will, in turn, be utilised to develop an occupational qualification. No registered standard education requirements exist for image consultants, but various unaccredited, non-credit bearing training programmes are available in the field offered by private institutions and related associations.

Recommended Subjects

• English
• Mathematics

Employment Opportunities

• Self-employed image consultant.
• Working in an Image consulting firm, consulting with individuals or companies on behalf of the firm.

Real Estate refers to property: land and buildings, and anything else affixed to the land. Property practitioners and brokers use their skills to match prospective buyers with new homes, apartments, business space or lands. Property practitioners can choose to specialise in one of the mentioned property types or they can limit their business to a specific location.

Registered Qualifications

• Further Education and Training Certificate in Real Estate NQF Level 4
• Further Education and Training Certificate in Real Estate NQF Level 5
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Auctioneering Support Services NQF Level 4
• National Certificate: Auctioneering Practices NQF Level 5
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Commercial Property and Facilities Management NQF Level 4
• Occupational Certificate: Facilities Manager NQF Level 6
• Occupational Certificate: Valuer (Municipal Property Assessor) NQF Level 5

Required Subjects

• English Literacy
• Mathematics / Math Literacy
• Life Orientation

Statutory Requirements

As part of the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) statutory mandate and legislation, it is the requirement of all estate agents wishing to operate within the real estate property industry to be in possession of a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC).

A Fidelity Fund Certificate is valid between 1 January and 31 December of any given year. Estate agents are, therefore, required to renew by no later than 31 October of each year to obtain a Fidelity Fund Certificate for the following year.

Employment Opportunities

• Real Estate Agent
• Real Estate Agency Principal
• Property Manager
• Facility Manager
• Auctioneer
• Valuers