The Complete Guide to Project Management in South Africa 2024

• David Njoroge
• 24 Jul, 2023
• 0 Comments
• 5 Mins Read

A project manager is the one in charge of creating, planning and executing a project for a business. Most projects are related to delivering new products or services to the market. While other projects are about meeting critical objectives of an organization. Therefore, a project manager who completes a project on time and within budget is highly regarded.

Definitely, companies and organizations in South Africa are on the lookout for project managers. Their owners or directors see the need to apply project management best practices to their projects. This is because they owe it to their clients.

Project Management Course in South Africa

The journey to become a project manager in South Africa starts with enrolling in a course and earning a certification in project management. Such a course is taught at several institutions of higher learning that are accredited by the government of South Africa. Another option is earning a Project Management Institute (PMI) certification which can open the way to a job in that field.

Universities and colleges in South Africa which give lessons in project management do it in form of a short course. Apparently, some of these institutions call it a short learning programme. Regardless of the educational institution, students are prepared to be project managers who use resources prudently to deliver projects successfully.

Here are universities in South Africa offering a short course in project management:

1. University of Cape Town
2. University of Fort Hare
3. University of the Free Sate
4. University of KwaZulu-Natal
5. North-West University
6. University of Pretoria
7. Stellenbosch University
8. Wits University
9. University of Johannesburg
10. Nelson Mandela University
11. Cape Peninsula University of Technology
12. Durban University of Technology
13. Sol Plaatje University

Course Duration and Structure

A project management short course in South Africa takes either a few weeks or a few months. In order to run the course for just a few months, certain universities split the units and group some into Advanced Project Management. In addition to that, these universities have a flexible schedule to cater to the needs of different students.

Here are the common units:

1. Introduction to Project Management
2. Planning, scheduling and controlling
3. Monitoring and evaluation
4. Quality management
5. Risk management
6. Cost management
7. Stakeholder management
8. Team management

Course Fees in South Africa

Tuition fees for a short course in project management in South Africa is between 10,000 South African Rand and 20,000 South African Rand. This money covers the cost of registration, tuition and examinations. Additional costs are meant for students to access university resources like library and internet.

Advanced Diploma in Project Management

Apart from short courses, an advanced diploma in project management can be found in South Africa. This level of education is ranked close to a bachelor’s degree. Actually, this course takes one year for full time study and two years for part-time study. Tuition fee for the entire course is about 70,000 South African Rand.

Here are additional units

1. Research methodology
2. Resources management
3. Strategic management
4. Supply chain management and marketing

Here are universities in South Africa offering an advanced diploma in project management:

1. Tshwane University of Technology
2. University of South Africa
3. Sol Plaatje University
4. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Which is the Highest Level of Education in Project Management in South Africa?

A master’s degree in project management is more widely available in South Africa. This type of degree helps students gain research experience and more specialized knowledge beyond what an undergraduate degree offers. However, a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in project management is the highest academic degree that can be awarded. There are a few universities in the country that offer this kind of graduate degree.

Which Certification is Best for Project Management in South Africa?

Basically, there are some employers who prefer to hire project managers who hold PMI certifications. This is because PMI is the primary organization offering professional certificates in project management. Many project managers pursue either a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification or a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or even both.

How to Become a Certified Project Manager in South Africa

PMI has a branch in South Africa called PMI South Africa chapter. Therefore, an aspiring project manager in South Africa is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by PMI South Africa. It’s the most widely recognized certification in the world.

Here is what it takes to qualify for a PMP certification in South Africa:

• For those who have completed secondary school (high school) education, need to put in 60 months of experience leading projects and 35 hours of project management training or have CAPM certification
• Prepare for the PMP exam by studying. The cost of the classes depends on the institution and the format. A student can be trained either in person or online. There are several authorized training centers alongside accredited institutions in South Africa that offer PMP certification classes.
• Clearly, with a CAPM certification, a student does not need to fulfil the 35-hour education requirement.
• The next step is paying the PMP exam fee. For a PMI member, it costs US405 Dollars (about 7,200 South African Rand) while for a non-PMI member it costs US555 Dollars (about 9,900 South African Rand).
• After paying, a student can schedule their exam. The exam can be taken online or at a testing center in South Africa accredited by Pearson Vue. In case a student fails, they can retake the exam up to three times in one year.
• A student who passes the exam becomes PMP certified. A certified project manager in South Africa must keep their certification active by completing certain stages of continuing education.

Project Management Careers in South Africa

Project manager is among the jobs resulting from studying project management in South Africa. Since their work is to oversee specific projects, they can be found in every type of organization. They use their skills to create products and services for a variety of industries. The sectors where project managers work include:

• Construction and real estate
• Engineering
• Information Technology (IT)
• Manufacturing
• Hospitality
• Transportation and logistics
• Financial services
• Advertising and marketing
• Retail
• Non-profit

Project Manager Salary in South Africa

Project managers in South Africa earn an estimated salary that ranges from 200,000 South African Rand to 400,000 South African a year. Besides, the salary will be different based on level of experience from entry level to mid-level to senior level. The other factor that determines a project manager’s salary is the size of the project and the industry.

Assistant Project Manager Salary in South Africa

Assistant project managers in South Africa earn an estimated salary that ranges from 100,000 South African Rand to 300,000 South African Rand. Since they help the project manager in running a project, their salary is less than their immediate supervisor. Project size, nature of the industry and level of experience are also considered in setting their pay.

Job Outlook for Project Managers in South Africa

Project managers in South Africa are in great demand. As businesses in the country increase the number of projects they are initiating, the higher the need for professionals who can execute them successfully. Organizations in South Africa are constantly looking for ways to improve their project management practices.