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Best Career Paths for Human Resource Management Graduates in South Africa

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List of Career Paths for HR Graduates

1. An HR generalist

An HR generalist is a perfect role for someone who wants to learn all the ropes in human resources. They undertake a range of HR-related responsibilities, including talent attraction, hiring and training, employee engagement and performance, and payroll.

  • Salary Expectation: Entry-level HR generalists earn between R180,000 and R357,000 annually, while experienced professionals with 8 years+ experience can earn up to R617,000.
  • Industries That Hire: corporate, government, NGOs, and manufacturing.

2. Recruitment Specialist

A recruitment specialist in South Africa specializes in helping organisations find the perfect talent for the role. They work closely with hiring managers, attracting talent, screening, and hiring the best person to fill the vacancy.

  • Salary Expectation: Between R210,000 – R420,000 per year, depending on experience and the company they work for
  • Industries That Hire: Recruitment agencies, IT, healthcare, and financial services.

3. Learning and Development Specialist

The role of a learning and development specialist involves designing, conducting, and organizing training programs to improve employee performance and growth in their roles.

  • Salary Expectation: L&D specialist salary starts from R200,000 on entry level, increasing to over R450,000 per year for senior positions.
  • Industries That Hire: Education, corporate training, and consulting firms.

4. Compensation and Benefits Specialist

They are responsible for an organization’s compensation and benefits structure. They implement compensation plans and benefits programs and retain top-performing employees.

  • Salary Expectation: Between R250,000 and R600,000 annually.
  • Industries That Hire: Banking, insurance, and large corporations.

5. Industrial Relations Officer

An Industrial Relations Officer focuses on handling workplace grievances, disputes, and complaints and ensuring compliance with labour laws. 

  • Salary Expectation: Industrial Relations Officer earns between R180,000 and R400,000, depending on experience.
  • Industries That Hire: Unions, labor consultancy, and large organizations.

6. HR Consultant

A human resources consultant initiates and leads HR programs, conducts research to identify issues, formulates strategic plans, and manages talent.

  • Salary Expectation: Consultants earn between R350,000 for entry-level and R800,000 for experienced consultants, also depending on clientele.
  • Industries That Hire: consulting firms or freelance consulting.

7. Organizational Development Specialist

The organizational development specialist focuses on enhancing company performance and work culture while also implementing effective strategies that encourage growth and efficiency.

  • Salary Expectations: Entry-level salaries start at R250,000 and up to R725,000 for experienced specialists.
  • Industries That Hire: Healthcare, education, and corporate sectors.

Where To Study HR Management South Africa?

Top Universities You Can Study HRM In South Africa

  • University of Pretoria (BCom in Human Resource Management.)
  • University of Cape Town (Postgraduate Diploma in HRM.)
  • University of Johannesburg (BCom HRM and Master’s in HRM.)
  • North-West University (Undergraduate and postgraduate HR programs.)

TVET Colleges Where You Can Study HRM In South Africa

  • South West Gauteng College (HR Management Diploma.)
  • False Bay TVET College (HR Management courses.)

Additional Courses and Certifications That Will Improve Your Chances For Wider Job Opportunities In HRM Sector

  • Labour Relations Management, University of South Africa (UNISA)
  • Advanced Diploma in HR Development, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
  • Skills Development Facilitator Training—ETDP SETA-accredited
  • Psychometric Assessment Certification: Assessment Standards South Africa (ASSA)

Transferable Programs for a Career in HR

The following qualifications will be valuable for your new role if you are planning to transition to HR from another field: 

  • Business Administration: Provides the basics for HR operations.
  • Industrial Psychology: Equips you with learning employee behaviour and how you can tackle working with human-related issues.
  • Public Relations: Polish your skills in professional communication and how to handle employee disputes.
  • Labour Law: Familiarize you with industrial relations roles.

HRM Bursaries or Learnerships for Students In South Africa

Yes, the following learnership bursaries can fund HR students in South Africa:

  • National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
  • Funds tuition for HR undergraduate studies.
  • Momentum Metropolitan Learnership
  • Offers learnerships to gain working HR experience on the job.
  • SETA Learnerships
  • Offers skills development programs for HR-related roles.
  • Corporate Bursaries
  •  Vodacom, Sasol, and Nedbank offer bursaries for students to study HR.

How Much Are HR Salaries In South Africa?

Salaries in HR will depend on the industry you are in, your level of experience, and your role in the company.

  • Entry-Level HR Administrator (1 to 3 years experience): R150,000–R200,000 annually.
  • HR Manager (8 years experience): R450,000–R925,000 annually.
  • Director of HR: R1,000,000+ annually.

Transferable Jobs To HR for When Struggling to find a Job

If it’s proving to be hard scoring an HR job in South Africa, the following jobs can gain the right experience to elevate to HR.

1. Administrative Assistant

Admin roles will help you familiarize yourself with HR roles like record-keeping, managing employee data and the process of integrating new employees into the company.

  • Acquired Skills: organizational skills, handling employee documentation, and communication.
  • Expected Salary: R100,000–R180,000 per year.

2. Customer Service Representative

Working as a customer service representative equips you with resolving issues skills and people skills that are beneficial when working as HR personnel. 

  • Acquired Skills: Conflict resolution, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  • Expected Salary: R120,000–R220,000 per year.

3. Payroll Administrator

Having experience in payroll administration brings you a step closer to working in HR, as it is one of their most important functions.

  • Acquired Skills: Salary administration, compliance, and record management.
  • Expected Salary: R150,000–R300,000 per year.

4. Office Coordinator

Office coordinators often focus on employee relations and policy enforcement, which is one of the main functions of HR.

  • Acquired Skills: Employee welfare, Health and safety management and salary administration.
  • Expected Salary: R150,000 – R250,000 per year.

5. Recruitment Agency Intern

Working as an intern can improve your chances of getting permanently employed while learning how to attract talent.

  • Acquired Skills: Talent attraction, Screening candidates, interview scheduling, and sourcing resumes.
  • Expected Salary: R80,000 – R150,000 per year.

6. Call Center Supervisor

Being a supervisor at a call center will polish your people skills and learn employee behaviour.

  • Acquired Skills: Team management, conflict resolution, and training experience.
  • Expected Salary: R180,000 – R350,000 per year.

Final Thoughts

HR career paths in South Africa are doable, as long as you follow the right steps, get the right qualifications, and work jobs that are easily transferable to HR then you can land your dream job. Look out for bursaries and learnerships that can make your life easy on your HRM career journey, and do not give up when you don’t find the specific role you want right away. You can start as small as an internship and work your way to the top.

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