Bookkeeper Salary in South Africa

Thinking about starting a career as a bookkeeper? Excellent idea since it is a very simple job and does not require much effort once you get the hang of things. The salary packages are not overly lavish but you will get satisfactory pay packages even at the beginner level.

Occupation:	Bookkeeper
Monthly Salary Range:	R 18000 – R 30000
Average Monthly Salary:	R 24000
Description:	A bookkeeper is a person who is primarily responsible for maintaining the general ledger of a company. He is supposed to make all the entries to record financial transactions of the business reflecting purchases, expenses, sales revenue, receipts, and payments.
Minimum Qualification:	You will just need a National Certificate in Bookkeeping to get your career started in South Africa. However, this certificate has different levels and is registered at NQF level 3 or 4 depending upon the level up to which you study.

In the following article, I will give you a complete overview of bookkeeper salary, pay packages, job responsibilities, qualification criteria, and a few frequently asked questions. By the end of this article, you will have a very clear picture of what to expect out of this particular field. So, for further details, I suggest you keep on reading down below.

Overview of Bookkeeper Salary

So, it is safe to say that you can easily set up your career as a bookkeeper in South Africa. The pay is good enough as you will receive a salary package of 18,000 Rands per month initially. Later on, as your years of experience increase and you gain more skills and exposure, this salary package will increase up to a maximum of 30,000 Rands per month.

So, you can say that a bookkeeper in South Africa earns up to an average of 24,000 Rands per month. The qualification criteria are also not so strict as you will just have to get a National Certificate in Bookkeeping to start up your career. The job responsibilities are also quite simple, as you will just be overlooking and working on the general ledger recording daily business transactions.

Responsibilities of a Bookkeeper

1. Accounts Payable and Receivable

It is the primary responsibility of a bookkeeper to overlook all the accounts payables and receivables of suppliers and customers whether major or regular ones. Bookkeepers keep a close eye on these two accounts and their sub-accounts to monitor and translate any changes that could occur over time.

Whenever there is an increase or decrease in any of these accounts, they report it immediately to reflect the timely changes in the money trails and to assist in audit procedures. In this way, the business can keep track of all the money that it owes and the money owed to it.

2. Perform Bank Reconciliations

It is also the job of a bookkeeper to perform bank reconciliations as a check to reflect that the amounts appearing in the books of accounts match the figures appearing on the bank statements. If there are any discrepancies between the two, it is the responsibility of the bookkeeper to bridge the mismatch through logical explanations.

The difference could be due to un-presented or uncredited cheques. It could also be due to bank holidays or weekends that the figures might not have been updated in the bank statements. All this logic and reasoning shall have to be provided by the bookkeeper himself.

3. Preparing Trial Balance

A bookkeeper is also responsible for preparing the trial balance for the financial statements. It is a compilation of all the general entries from all the general ledgers. It is prepared to see if all the debit entries balance out the credit entries.

Hence, any discrepancies are identified and worked upon through the trial balances. It is also the responsibility of a bookkeeper to investigate the difference and rectify the errors.

FAQs

How much does a bookkeeper earn in South Africa?

A fresh bookkeeper receives an initial salary package of 18,000 Rands. Some companies even pay 20,000 Rands per month as an initial salary package but the changes are few and far between. However, this salary goes up as far as 30,000 Rands per month as the bookkeeper gains experience and practical skills.

What are the job responsibilities of a bookkeeper?

A bookkeeper has multiple jobs including recording regular business transactions, overlooking accounts payable and receivable, and preparing bank reconciliations, and trial balances. Other than that, he is also responsible for identifying and rectifying any errors or discrepancies that might appear in reconciliations or trial balances.

What are the qualification requirements of a bookkeeper?

A bookkeeper is supposed to get a National Certificate in Bookkeeping to start up his career in South Africa. This certificate is registered at NQF level 3 or 4 depending upon the levels of the certificate.

It is entirely up to you to decide which level you want to study. Your NQF level will depend upon your acquired studies.

The Bottom Line

So, it is safe to say that a bookkeeper career is indeed a rewarding one in South Africa as it pays well and has good prospects. It doesn’t even have very stringent qualification criteria since you will only need a National Certificate in Bookkeeping to get your career started. However, this certificate has different levels and is registered at NQF level 3 or 4 depending upon the level up to which you study.

The job responsibilities are also quite simple since you will be overlooking the accounts payable and receivable, making bank reconciliations, and investigating and rectifying any differences that might arise in the reconciliations or trial balance preparation. The pay is also quite good since you receive an initial salary package of 18,000 Rands as a fresh bookkeeper.