Choosing a career is the most important decision in life. It is more about deciding what You will do to make a living for the rest of your life. So, you need to find an industry that works for you and work towards getting the skills needed for the job.

Learning about skills that are in demand is essential in deciding what to pursue in college.
The recent dynamic working environment also Demands a proper understanding of skill relevance in modern applications.

Talent and passion are not sufficient enough for a career. You need to learn more skills.

How?

Education.

Getting into college to further your education is the first big step in gaining the skills necessary for a good career. You can do a degree program, short courses, or a diploma—endeavour to research the college and study at an accredited University.

Do internships in companies that relate to your chosen career path. This will help you get training and first-hand experience. Internships give you a feel for what you will do for the rest of your life.
Work with a Mentor.
The easiest and most rapid way to succeed in your career is to get a mentor, someone who is a professional in the field of your interest. Having a mentor is motivating and gives you an inside perspective on the day-to-day processes of your job.

The unemployment rate in South Africa is high, and there are no sufficient candidates with qualified skills for available career opportunities.

That said, here is the list of the most in-demand careers in South Africa in the various sectors.

Information And Communication Technology

According to Carrier Junction, this is one of the most in-demand jobs in South Africa.

Various fields in the ICT industry include:

Data scientist.

This field of study combines domain expertise, programming skills and knowledge of maths and statistics to extract managerial insights from data.

Robotics and process automation.

This is a more sophisticated form of business process automation that can record tasks performed by an individual on the computer and perform the same task without any human intervention.

Cloud computing is the delivery of various services across the Internet, such as information storage, databases, networking, Save Us, and software.

Cybersecurity.

It is the practice of protecting systems programs and networks from cyber-attacks.

Other fields in this sector include web design and development experts, ICT directors, and Software Developers.

According to Michael Page (a Specialist recruitment firm), this sector faces the challenge of scarcity in the supply of talent with STEM skills in South Africa.

However, a diverse educational terrain that speaks more to the STEM techniques needed in the 21st century is now needed.

Human Resource.

Human resources is a department or person that deals with everything employment-related in the company.

Human resources deal with employment and training new staff, ensure everyone adheres to labor laws, educate employees on Company benefits like pensions, sick leave, maternity leave, Etc., manage payroll, and manage staff contracts.

The key jobs in this sector include:

The human resource manager deals with the most important functions in the human resource department: hiring and firing employees, improving company and individual laws, and recruiting and training new workers.

The Human Resource Consultants advise the company on the current state of the human resource department and offer solutions on how to improve and adhere to company labor laws.

Human resource administrator who combines both human resource and other administrative duties. He handles the organization’s documentation and assists in other duties like Employment.

There are a variety of skills needed for this job. Basic hard skills include good communication skills, the ability to draw budgets, and organization skills, while soft skills include multitasking, decision-making, problem-solving, and other interpersonal skills.

Human resource experts have been in high demand in most Industries lately, probably because of the lack of flexibility.
This scarcity of flexibility illustrated by some organizations has been a barrier for applicants, several of whom have contemplated other employment options.

Michael Page suggested that organizations should employ individuals who have had experience in numerous positions during their careers.

With enough training and experience, you can become successful in this career path.

Finance And Accounting.

This sector deals with recording, measuring, and analyzing financial records for companies.

The top positions in this sector are financial managers, accountants, heads of finance, and commercial finance managers.

A few areas of Specialties in accounts used include;
Bookkeeping involves crunching numbers and keeping records of finances in a business. A bookkeeper is practically a junior accountant.

Financial managers are all about predicting the future of the business and strategizing to help the business grow.

Chartered accountants. This position has numerous jobs to choose from like auditing, forensic accounting, financial accounting, and Taxation.

Managerial accounting is more focused on preparing budgets for the preceding years, while financial accounting looks at budgets for the past years.

This sector faces numerous challenges, one of which is the downsizing of particular teams. Most businesses also argue that teams are not skilled enough to survive the changes brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

To tackle this issue, Michael Page suggested that many roles can be integrated into one to consolidate large teams, depending on the company’s size.

Also Read: How to Register With The Department Of Labour

Engineering And Manufacturing

The market in this sector has become very competitive, and individuals with the required skills are scarce.

The positions in demand include;

Project managers are responsible for planning, leading, and overseeing projects from injection to completion. This is a senior role in an organization that involves interactions with both internal and external stakeholders.
Project managers are also responsible for ensuring that project deadlines are met; they coordinate staff and internal resources, coordinate project reviews and design reports, conduct risk mitigation plans Etc.

Operations managers are responsible for managing activities that create goods and services.
Other responsibilities include planning, control, design, and strategizing.

Other positions in demand are Maintenance managers and manufacturing managers.

Some positions in this sector require illegal appointments, such as the G C C mines, GCC factories, and mine managers’ certificates, which detail specific certifications, skills, or qualifications needed to fulfil the job’s responsibilities.

Professionals who pursue these qualifications can benefit from open-door opportunities and future promotions. They can also assist other members within the company through training and monitoring. According to Michael Page, recruiters should invest in these initiatives and allow workers to explore these options.

The careers and positions listed above are the most in-demand careers in South Africa.

Trending careers indicate positions that have become more popular in the job market and have experienced a dramatic increase in demand.

When choosing your career, consider the list of jobs and skills in high demand in South Africa to ensure that your career prospects in the labour market will be increased.

Changing careers can be a groundbreaking move. It is more seismic than moving from one job to another.

Many individuals switch careers at some point in life, with an average person changing careers five to seven times in their working lives. This change is often a result of changes in the job market, more financial benefits in the new industry, or some aspirations and dreams that have long been forgotten.

Whatever the case may be, changing careers means changing and creating a new resume.

One of the biggest challenges you will face is to show how relevant your career history is. All you have to do is downplay a lack of forthright experience and, at the same time, highlight your successes and skills that apply.

If you are wondering how to write a CV that is different and appealing, we have got you covered.

To begin, let us consider the basics of how to write a CV.

Choosing the right structure for your CV

The hybrid CV is often the best, especially when you are sending your CV online. This type of resume structure combines the best parts of a functional and a chronological CV and enables you to focus attention on what you want an employer to know.

Personal statement 

Personal details like your name, phone number, and email address should be at the top of the page. They should be followed by a personal statement; Who you are, your career goals, and most importantly, what you can offer the organization.

Also, list your achievements, skills, and experience to date and make sure they match the job description of the hiring employer.

Skills

This is the section where you at I’m on the phone skills like management, sales, planning, communication, etc.

Also, include a line or two describing how you’ve used these skills before.

Experience

This section will contain the job experiences you’ve had throughout your work life.

You can use the chronological format, listing the most recent jobs first, including job titles, employers’ names, and dates.

Furthermore, focus on achievements in that role and pay attention to the new job description and requirements.

Qualifications

In this section, you will need to indicate if you are a college graduate or in the university. Add the name of your qualification, institution names, and dates of attendance.

If you are a school dropout, put a spotlight on your results.

Additional information 

This section is very significant on a CV if you are changing careers.

Add more transferable skills, including second languages, or any volunteering experience that could be important. You can also add hobbies and interests.

Without further ado, here are a few tips on how to write a CV for a career change.

1. Do some research on your new career. 

Studying your new career should be the first thing on your mind before you write a new CV.

It is essential that you do proper research and make sure you know and have as much information as possible about your career.

For starters, look at some of the best and substantial employers in the industry and figure out the attributes that are best valued in their employees. You can get details on the most in-demand qualification and skills required for the position you are applying for.

One of the best places to start with this is to research important job descriptions and make a list of the most frequently asked requirements. It’ll give you a good insight into what recruiters want and prepare you with the knowledge to succeed in your new career path.

2. write a whole new resume.

A new career requires a new CV.

At this point, you already know what the recruiters are looking for. Don’t try to save time by editing an old CV, because it might reduce your chances of producing a powerful and appealing application.

Besides, your old resume was specifically designed for your previous career.

It is therefore a good idea to start from scratch, choose the format and content that will make your new CV stand out. This is especially valid when you don’t have a large qualification or relevant experience and you want to impress your recruiters with your achievements and skills instead of your employment history.

Furthermore, do some research on the CV structure and format that will be great for your career change.

3. Include a section for skills.

When you must have chosen a resume structure, and format, add a section to highlight your skills or show that you have the hard and soft skills that the employer requires.

If you noticed that some skills and qualifications are missing in your new resume, you could continue to work towards gaining new experiences and qualifications or learn and acquire new skills.

Some online courses will help you gain significant qualifications or you can sign up to do some volunteer work that is related to your chosen career path.

Include skills that will increase your chances of impressing your employer.

4. Make an outstanding first impression.

The first quarter of your CV is crucial because this is the part that grabs an employer’s attention.

During the process of acquiring new skills and gaining your qualifications make sure to update your resume regularly. Add any new impressive experience or achievements to your profile.

Also, add the relevant transferable skills you have.

Write an engaging cover letter. This is your first chance to impress the employer. Indicate reasons why the experience and skills you possess make you the perfect candidate for the job.

This will help your employer to identify rapidly the difference between your resume and other candidates.

Also, endeavor to update your important social media profiles with the new achievements and skills you have acquired. This is because most employers nowadays use social media to screen applicants.

5. Cut out the unnecessary information.

Don’t include every bit of information from your past careers like every single task that you completed or every position held.

This can be detrimental and ruin your chances of being employed.

Make your resume shorter but more persuasive and relevant rather than long and full of junk.

In that case, leave out any information that is not related to the career path you have chosen.

Highlight only the information that will make your resume relevant and attractive to your new recruiters.

Be careful not to include irrelevant past experiences in your resume as it will draw recruiters’ attention away from the relevant stuff and reduce your chances of standing out and being invited for an interview.

6. Find out what resume format is good for you.

There are three CV formats to choose from.

The functional CV format enables you to highlight more important parts of your work. It appears to be the best choice for an individual who wants to change careers. This CV format pays close attention to experience and skills rather than where you worked in the past and the dates.

The chronological CV format, on the other hand, outlines your work experience from the most recent to the oldest. It is the most utilized CV format.

Finally, we have the mixed format which combines the chronological and the functional format.

It is advisable to choose the hybrid format that combines the functional and the chronological  CV formats.

7. Relevant non-work-related experiences should be included in your CV. 

Your best professional experience may appear to be irrelevant and may not relate to your new career.

Make sure to include relevant extracurricular activities on your resume to add more weight.

If you have taken any internships, training, indication, important volunteering, make sure to highlight that too. This will demonstrate transferable skills and also show you are dedicated, passionate, and enthusiastic about the new career path you have chosen.

8. Use numbers to show your significance 

When naming your successes in past roles, use bullet points that illustrate your contribution to the bottom line.

Numbers are a precise indicator of your assistance and accomplishments, it doesn’t matter the field you have worked in.

Numbers are extremely crucial on career change resumes as they help recruiters to rapidly connect to unfamiliar work history, and foresee what the applicant can do for their company.

9. Don’t be disturbed if your qualification section is scanty.

When changing careers, you’re bound to have gaps in your qualification, especially if your previous professional background is not connected to the new field.

Don’t be frustrated by this. Keep in mind that very few applicants will have every single needed credential.

Most recruiters would choose to employ an individual who meets three-quarters of the criteria but is passionate and driven.

Focus on spotlighting your skills and capacities, and don’t forget the desire to change careers shows your level of motivation, passion, and confidence.

10. If you are applying online, make sure you save your CV as a PDF file, except the job opening doesn’t agree. Also use fonts like Calibri, Garamond, and Arial.

A mixed career change CV offers you the best experience from a little bit of both chronological and functional structures.

It stands out as a traditional layout but helps you to highlight your accomplishments and communicable skills.

Since you have little or no experience in this new career path, it is up to you to show the employee that you are an asset to the company.

Hope these tips helped you. Good luck with your job search.

Many people want a successful career, but only a few of these individuals are willing to take the time out to consider what needs to be done to achieve success.

Yes, your career won’t curdle you at night, but it is still very significant. It generates the income that feeds your family, saves you on a rainy day, and keeps you busy during most of your day.

Building a successful career can be extremely challenging, but it is also very rewarding. Having a successful career over a long time comes with lots of financial benefits, and it has a way of making you feel fulfilled and gives you a sense of self-satisfaction.

Success however doesn’t come easy. It is not a roll of dice.
While most people start and succeed immediately in their careers, others need a little help.
There are things you do daily that help you nurture a successful career.

Here are ten tips for having a successful career as an entrepreneur or an employee.

Choose an occupation that reflects your personality.
The goal is to have a job or own a business that you like. Before pursuing any career, ask yourself, “do I see myself doing this every day for the rest of my life”.

Know your weaknesses and your strengths and choose a career path that is a perfect match for your aptitude, work-related values, and personality.
Conduct a complete self-assessment so you get to know as much as you can about yourself. You can even write down a list of things you do best, maybe you are good with numbers, or maybe it’s building teamwork, or you are a good communicator.

Also, be honest about those things you cannot do; maybe you are scared of speaking in public.
You can also do more research on the occupation, learn about the earnings, job duties, employment Outlook, and qualifications.

Set goals.

Setting goals is an important step to achieve success.

Goals are important because they assist you in defining what a successful career means to you. We all see success differently. For you, it might mean becoming the best sales agent in your company or field, and for others, it might mean putting food on the table and taking care of the family without debts.

Setting goals based on how you see success can be a powerful source of motivation for you. When you set bigger life goals, you can then break them down into manageable goals and put them into action. Doing this creates a good path for you to achieve success.

Unless you set goals, you will never know whether or not you have reached the peak of your life. All this becomes easier to sort out if you have life goals.

Have a set routine

Time management is essential in every aspect of Our Lives. A lot of people complain that they barely have time to do what they need to do for the day.
This happens as a result of poor time management.

Having a set routine can be extremely helpful in enabling you to finish daily tasks and pursue high-level accomplishments.

For example, most successful entrepreneurs’ common routine Is to wake up as early as possible to work out, read, reply to emails, or meditate. Have some time alone at the beginning of the day so that they can concentrate on work during the day.

Your routine may depend on the company you work in or other time constraints. But having a daily schedule and clinging to it, can help you complete task efficiently and aim at helping you achieve success in the long run.

Be surrounded by goal-oriented people and develop your network even when you don’t need it.
Your environment reflects who you are. If you spend time with people who sit around, play video games, drink alcohol, and party all night and every day, you are not setting yourself up for a successful career or life.

If you want to succeed, you should surround yourself with successful people, people you look up to and aspire to be like, and get to know the significant people in your field.

Attend business conferences and events or Summits, request meetings with them, and keep in touch. People who know and like you are the best networks you can have. All these build a strong relationship with them and make them think of you when an opportunity comes up.

Surround yourself with people who empower and inspire you to grow. These efforts can open doors for the growth of your career.

Find someone who inspires you and make him or her your mentor.

Never look down on the power of mentorship.
Look for a superior in your field which you admire and see if he or she is willing to be your mentor.

Most successful people out there from entrepreneurs, to business people, to artists, have gone through some sort of mentorship.

A mentor is someone who is further in their careers than you and can give you advice, insight, and guidance to help mould you.
Both of you can review your achievements and goals regularly, and as a mentor, he can help groom you for growth and even advocate for you.

These superiors have gone through a process of building a career close to what you desire to and can give you advice from a place of experience.

A mentor’s guidance can help you avoid a dead-end in your career and take you through the right path of success.
Mentorship helps you achieve success more rapidly.

Review yourself regularly.

Companies are reviewed yearly, but individuals rarely do the same on their part.

Have a status report with yourself once in a while. It could be daily, weekly, or even monthly.

Evaluate how you are working towards your goals and see if you can make some changes to your goals so that they keep motivating and inspiring you.

Acknowledge and admit to your errors, and think of what you could do differently to fix yourself in areas where you need to improve.

Being current with yourself this way will help you cultivate a better sense of awareness and focus on your career.

Upskill and improve yourself.

If you want a successful career, you have to stay committed to improving yourself.
Don’t settle for being good enough; work towards being the best. Keep learning and acquiring new skills.
The world is progressing, and you may drill down or Branch out, so it’s important to learn about other fields or developing issues.

Learning is not only done by reading books. Spend time with your colleagues, especially those you can learn from, and ask questions.

Seeking self-improvement doesn’t mean you keep criticizing yourself, be kind to yourself, and admit to your shortcomings and be willing to strengthen yourself where you are weak.

Constant learning and upskilling make you a valuable asset to yourself and your employer and will also help you stay more flexible and enable you to deal with advancements and changes no.
Change is the only constant thing.

Work hard

As the saying goes, “actions follow intentions”.
This means that if you want to be successful in your career, you should be willing and ready to do what it takes to achieve that success.

Just a little effort and willingness to work hard can take you far and impact your career in an extremely powerful way.
In other words, you have the right mindset to succeed if you are willing to work hard.

When you have the enthusiasm to work hard, you are more likely to proactively do what is essential to be different from others.

Robin Sharma once said, “if you want to have the results only 5% have, you must be willing to do and think like only 5 per cent think and do”.

If you are not willing to work hard to achieve then you are not on the right path.

Make your employer look good and listen more than you speak.

A lot of employees concentrate only on endorsing themselves in their workplace.
While promoting and making yourself look good, also emphasize on making your boss look good. Support your boss, help boost his or her career if possible, and he might end up being an advocate with an interest in keeping you around.

Also, listen to your employer when he is explaining a project or just telling you how he spent his weekend. It is important to understand what he is saying, and that will help you avoid future conflicts or misunderstandings.

Listening to your colleagues and putting in efforts to make them look good in the office can contribute to your team’s success, which will reflect your success.

Generally, be a new, pleasant, kind, respectful, and honest employee and coworker.

Act and look like a professional.

A greater part of your success comes from how you act and how you dress.

Going for an interview or business meetings with your seniors while casually outfitted sends out the wrong message, and you may appear unserious.

“Dress for the job you want and not the one you have”. It will be an intelligent move to dress smart or in a suit to work if your bosses are always in suits.
In that way, people can envisage you working at high levels.

Be professional when interacting with those below and above you and in meetings.
Show a real passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to your job and the company, and remember the company’s success reflects your personal and career success.

Always dress to impress. When you look professional, you attract better opportunities.

There are many ways and many things to do to have a successful career, most of these start with your mindset.

You attract what you think. If you think of yourself as a success, then you succeed in every aspect of your life, but if you think otherwise, you are bound to fail. Have a winner’s mindset, and you will have a successful career.

A project coordinator oversees projects from the beginning to the end. They supposed project managers to ensure that projects and other assignments are delivered on time and as budgeted.

For this to be achieved, he or she must be willing to take responsibility for a few tasks like scheduling and distributing materials for meetings, controlling communication among team members, compiling data and following project success, monitoring budgets and other financial reports, and other managerial duties.

A project coordinator requires a professional CV to show that he or she has experience working in the industry, working with people or groups of people, and being a team leader.

Developing an impactful project coordinator application is important for your job search.
Your CV should document your core abilities, particularly those that align with the job description.

In this article, I will show you how to apply for this role and make a good first impression.

Here are a few national project coordinator writing tips

Be brief.

If you have many experiences and projects in your work history, try it as much as you can to be brief but comprehensive. Keep your CV in a page or two if necessary by only including the most relevant information for the road.

Quantify your successes.

Recruiters want to know the impact you have made throughout your career. Quantifying your achievements gives them an insight, and shows proof and record of your achievements. So instead of saying “coordinated projects from inception through completion”, you might want to say something like “coordinated more than 20 projects from start to finish, successfully getting more than 92% of projects completed on time”.

Make use of keywords.

The skills and keywords you use in your CV should be compatible with the terminology used in the National project coordinator job description.

Proofread.

Pay attention to details, and make sure there are no errors. Read over your work and if possible, send it to a friend or a mentor to review it. Sending in an error-free CV shows you pay attention to details and you take your job seriously.

Your Resume Format

National project coordinator CVS should be success-driven, brief, and comprehensive. There are three resume formats to choose from:
The chronological format lists your work experiences from the most recent to the oldest.

The functional CV format highlights only the relevant parts of your skills instead of paying attention to your work history.

The combined format blends both functional and chronological resume formats.

The chronological or combined CV format is often recommended for project coordinators to use since it directs the recruiters’ attention to the most relevant work experience.

When applying online, your resume must be parsed through an Application Tracking System (ATS). This is the software that uses parse code to rank applicants based on qualifications and keywords used in their application and how compatible it is with the job description. Recruiters consider only the applications that are ranked highest.

Avoid using icons, graphs, charts, or images in your resume as it can cause the software to parse the information wrongly or not be passed at all. Therefore, it is advisable to use a clean, simple format and save it as a PDF, .docx or .docs to avoid getting your CV rejected.

Sections To Include In Your Cv

Contact Information

Your contact information should be clearly and visibly aligned on the top left or Center of your CV. It makes it easier for recruiters to contact you in case they are interested in hiring you.

Contact information should include your name, phone number, email address, location. Your full address should not be included in your location, only the city, states, and zip code.

Objective and summary

A CV summary is a two or three-line statement that gives recruiters a rapid insight into your suitable work experiences and qualifications.

You want to capture an employer’s attention with a concise overview, showing your most valuable experiences and skills.

You should include three things in your CV summary; years of experience in the field, relevant qualifications, and skills that are emphasized in the job description.

Craft a career objective if you are changing careers or a fresh graduate with no experience.

Skills and qualifications.

Project coordinators utilize both soft and hard skills.

Soft skills are behaviour and personality traits. They are skills that are related to how you work and interact with other individuals. Recruiters often considered his skills because they are difficult to teach and are relevant for the success of the company in the long run.
Soft skills include adaptability, organization, motivation, leadership, critical thinking, time management, communication, interpersonal skills, etc.

Hard skills are skills developed by utilizing and gaining experience in carrying out digital and physical tasks. Hard skills include Rick’s management, data entry, project scheduling, Microsoft Office, budgeting, road mapping, forecasting, project planning, data analyzing, etc.

Your hard skills and qualifications should be prioritized before the soft skills.

Also include qualifications that way earned to advance experience in the field. This may help you pass the employer’s review and be shortlisted for an interview.

Experience

National project coordinators perform a variety of tasks. When writing your resume, it is important to include only the most relevant experiences to the job description because an employer has only a few seconds to scan the CV.

Also, include result-oriented work, achievements, and skills you have used. Use numbers to show your impacts where possible.

You can also use bullets and keep them on no more than two lines, use up to seven bullet points to describe your current experiences, and use only about three or four bullet points when describing your past work experiences.

Consider using unique action verbs to highlight your impact. This increases your chances of getting the recruiter’s attention and ensures that your CV will go through the scanning process.

Education

If you just graduated without any prior experience, your education section should be at the top of your CV or under the summary section. This enables recruiters to see that you are just fresh out of the University.
Also, add important honours, coursework, GPA, or anything relevant to the role.

But if you have work experience, your education section should be at the bottom of your CV. This is because recruiters only focus on your experiences. This section should only include you’ll disagree, and University name except if you recently graduated then you can include the year.

Your Cover Letter.

When applying for a position as important as a national project coordinator, your cover letter should be attractive and captivating.
A perfect cover letter combined with a perfect CV is sure to seal the deal.

Here are a few tips for writing a national project coordinator cover letter.

Be sure to use valid formatting.
National Project coordinators are expected to be organized and detail-oriented. Choose a tried-and-true cover letter font size. It should be 11 or 12, with a line spacing of 1.15 or 1.5. Your margins should be set to one inch on both sides.

Utilize a professional header.

Include your name, position you’re applying for, phone number, and email address. Your city and dates should also be included.
When addressing the human resource manager, be personal and use his name. In case you do not know his or her name, run through the company’s website or call the reception. This will show that you are the type of person to get things done.

Your introductory paragraph should get the employer’s attention.

Your introduction should be captivating because the success of the rest of the cover letter depends on it.

Also Read: How to Register With The Department Of Labour

It is significant that you indicate which position you are applying for, and mention in a few introductory lines your relevant accomplishments and why you think they make you a perfect candidate for the job.

Cite why you want to work in that company.

You can include a line or two expressing your admiration for some elements of their company. This will show that you did your research. Furthermore, show reasons why the company and the position you are applying for is the best step for the development of your career.
Be sure to be brief and avoid making the cover letter too wordy and lengthy.

In the last section of your cover letter, recap briefly what the recruiter will gain by hiring you and suggest an in-person or phone call interview.

In the last section of your cover letter, use a professional enclosure like “kind regards”.
Sign your full name and add abbreviated contact details below it.

Do Not Make The Common Mistake Most Applicants Make

The national project coordinator position is a serious role to handle. Avoid making your resume decorative and colourful as it will deter employers’ attention from the relevant stuff.

Endeavour to use specific and clear terms when listing your accomplishments. Recruiters become suspicious when broad languages are used.

National Project Coordinators must pay great attention to detail. This commences with submitting your cv. Be sure to avoid the popular error of submitting a cv with improper grammar, spelling errors, or typing errors. Also, be sure to check the phone numbers of any references to ensure they are also valid.

What is the GEPF

The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) controls South African government employee pensions and benefits.

The GEPF is not an institution of Government but a separate entity. Therefore, its benefits are not dependent on investment results but guaranteed by the law.

Since its establishment in 1996, the growth of the GEPF has exploded from R 127 billion to R 1.8 trillion, making it the largest pension fund in the country. It is the largest single investor on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and plays a critical role in the development of the country. A Board of Trustees serving a four-year term administers the Fund.

Where does the GEPF get the money?

As a GEPF-member, you contribute a percentage of your monthly salary towards pension benefits. The Government also contributes on your behalf as it is your employer.

GEPF members pay 7.5% of their salary to the Fund.

The contribution of your employer is 13% of your pensionable salary.

The rate is higher if you are employed at a department in the intelligence community or by the South African National Defence Force. In that case, your employer contributes 16%.

How is your GEPF calculated?

The two issues that impact how much a member gets paid are the length of service completed and the final salary when he or she leaves the Fund.

Benefits of membership to the GEPF include provision for regular and early retirement and retirement for health reasons. In addition, workers whose careers have been affected by reorganisation or restructuring may also get retirement benefits.

The normal retirement age for GEPF members is sixty. The benefits paid will depend on the length of service. Members with a service time of fewer than ten years will be eligible for a gratuity in the form of a lump sum in cash. Members with a service time of 10 or more years receive a gratuity and monthly pension annuity.

Members may retire before reaching the usual retirement age of 60. In a case like this, the member’s time of pensionable service once again determines the benefits. Ten or more years will ensure annuities and gratuities. These are calculated in the same manner as those for normal retirement, but there will be a reduction of a third of one percent (0, 33%) for each month between the date of early retirement and regular retirement.

Enhanced benefits come into play when members retire for medical reasons, injury on duty, or when restructuring leads to the loss of their jobs. In cases like these, members with a service time of 10 years or longer receive annuities and gratuities. They also get an annual supplementary amount. The benefit will be consistent with the resignation benefit for members with less than ten years of pensionable service.

How do I check the pension fund and balance?

Every year the GEPF sends an Estimation of Benefits statement to its active members. The statement is a summary of the estimated pension benefits earned at a specific date during employment. It also contains information such as employment and personal details and pension benefits in case of normal retirement, resignation, Ill health retirement, and death in service. These are estimates only. The final numbers will only be available at a member’s actual exit date.

How many years of service are required for a full pension?

The minimum eligibility period for receipt of pension is ten years.

How do I claim my GEPF pension?

To claim your benefit, you can request a withdrawal notification form. This form is available through the PR Department. Members have to complete this form and return it together with some required documents, including ID and proof of banking. It will then be submitted to the fund administrator for processing.

How long will it take to process your claim?

Once your documents have been received, it will take no longer than 60 days to process the GEPF have received your duly completed documents; it will take not more than 60 days to process your claim. However, there is an exception to this rule. In the case of death claims where the distribution of benefits must take place, it can take longer.

Payments must be claimed within 30 days of payment to the Post Office.

The GEPF offers two options for the payment of the resignation benefit:

• Have it paid into a bank account as a cash lump sum; or
• Transfer it to an approved pension preservation fund.

 Some of the other benefits

• Funeral benefits

The GEPF offers benefits for the funeral of a member or a pensioner who passed away. Funerals of a spouse or eligible child of a member or pensioner are also covered. For a member, pensioner, or spouse, the Fund contributes a taxable amount of R15 000 towards the funeral costs. In addition, a taxable cash lump sum of R6 000 is payable for the funeral of an eligible child of a member or pensioner.

• Spouse pension

A qualifying spouse or eligible life partner qualifies for a percentage of the annuity paid to the member at the time of death. The same is true if the member dies while in service and had a full potential service period of at least ten years – that includes pensionable service years plus unexpired years until normal retirement.

• Child pension

In order to be considered for this benefit, the child has to be a biological or adopted child of the deceased member or pensioner.

An eligible child qualifies for this benefit up to the age of 22. A disabled child who is financially entirely dependent on the deceased member or pensioner will be eligible for the benefit until he or she passes away.

Child pensions are paid to the guardian until the age of 18, at which time the benefit must be paid to the child pensioner directly.

What are unclaimed benefits?

Unclaimed benefits are benefits where the benefit is not paid to the member or beneficiary within 24 months of the last day of service in line with the rules of the Fund.

Reasons for this may include:

• Problems with the member’s exit documents or tax details.
• Payments get sent but returned because of inaccurate address details.
• Incorrect banking details.
• The GEPF does not have the necessary details of the spouses or other beneficiaries of deceased members to contact them.