Santam and Old Mutual Careers 2026: Client Support Vacancies Every Matriculant Should Know About

A Grade 12 certificate can feel like a small piece of paper when you're staring down the job market. But at two of South Africa's biggest financial services names, Santam and Old Mutual, that certificate is exactly what opens the door. Both companies run insurance and financial services operations that depend heavily on client-facing teams, call centre consultants, administrative support staff, and learnership candidates, and matriculants are squarely in their hiring pool for these roles. If you've been scrolling job boards wondering whether you actually qualify for anything at a company this size, this guide breaks down what's real, what's required, and how to apply without falling for the fake "guaranteed job" pages that circulate online.

Who Santam and Old Mutual Actually Are

Before applying anywhere, it helps to know who you'd be working for.

Santam was established in 1918 and is South Africa's largest short-term insurance provider, holding roughly a 24.3% share of the short-term insurance market. It is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and forms part of the Sanlam Group. Santam has been recognised as a Top Employer in South Africa for eight consecutive years and operates across personal, commercial, and corporate insurance lines, with a significant number of its staff working remotely. Career fields at Santam span sales and client services, accounting and audit, underwriting and claims, IT, operations and admin, legal and compliance, marketing, and human resources.

Old Mutual is a premium African financial services group offering life and savings, property and casualty insurance, asset management, and banking and lending products across 14 countries. In South Africa it operates through hundreds of branches and has recently expanded its digital banking arm, OM Bank, which reported having grown its client base substantially through 2026. Old Mutual positions itself around long-term financial security for individuals and communities, and it runs structured learnership and graduate programmes alongside its regular vacancies.

Both companies are well known, JSE-connected employers, which matters because it also makes them common targets for scam job postings that copy their branding. Keep that in mind as you read the application section below.

Who Is Eligible to Apply

Eligibility differs by role, but for entry-level and client support positions aimed at matriculants, the general pattern looks like this:

• Minimum age: Typically 18 years and above, in line with standard South African labour law for full-time employment.
• Citizenship or work status: South African citizenship or valid legal permission to work in South Africa is generally required, since these are formal, permanent or fixed-term positions, not freelance gigs.
• Education: A Matric certificate (Grade 12) or equivalent NQF Level 4 qualification is the baseline for client support, call centre, and administrative roles.
• Language and communication ability: Strong verbal and written communication in English is expected, since client support roles involve constant phone and written interaction with policyholders and customers. Additional South African languages are often listed as an advantage rather than a strict requirement.
• No criminal record or credit issues: Because these are financial services companies regulated by South African financial authorities, background checks including credit and criminal record checks are standard practice before an offer is finalised.

Graduate and learnership tracks may have slightly different criteria, such as being under a certain age or not having completed a similar learnership before, so always read the specific listing rather than assuming this general checklist covers every programme.

Core Requirements for Client Support Roles

Client support and call centre consultant roles at both companies tend to ask for a similar bundle of practical skills, separate from formal qualifications:

• Comfortable using a computer, basic Microsoft Office tools, and internal case management or CRM systems
• Able to work in a target-driven, inbound and outbound call centre environment
• Strong listening and problem-solving skills, since a large part of the job is resolving client queries about policies, claims, or account issues on the first call
• Ability to stay calm and professional when dealing with frustrated or distressed customers, which is common in insurance client service
• Willingness to work shifts, since contact centres often operate extended hours to cover client needs across time zones or regions
• A team-oriented mindset, as most client support functions operate in pods or teams with shared performance targets

Some roles, particularly in underwriting support, claims administration, or financial advisory-linked positions, may additionally require or prefer a relevant certificate, diploma, or progress toward a recognised qualification under the Financial Sector Conduct Authority's fit and proper requirements. This is more common the closer a role gets to giving financial advice rather than pure administrative or call centre support.

Stipend and Salary: What's Actually Published

This is where a lot of job-listing websites get creative, and it's worth being direct about it. Neither Santam nor Old Mutual publishes a fixed, universal stipend or salary figure for matriculant-level client support roles on their official career pages. Compensation depends on the specific role, the region, whether the position is a permanent role or a structured learnership, and the outcome of the interview process. If a page online promises you an exact rand amount before you've even applied, treat that as a red flag rather than a fact.

What you can reasonably expect:

• Learnership and graduate programmes typically pay a monthly stipend during the training period, which is standard practice across South African learnerships registered with a SETA, but the amount is set per programme and disclosed in the specific vacancy listing or during onboarding.
• Permanent client support and consultant roles are paid a standard salary rather than a stipend, and this is discussed during the interview and offer stage, not advertised publicly in advance.
• Both companies advertise additional benefits alongside pay, including medical and health benefit access, retirement or provident fund contributions, and structured training, which add real value beyond the base salary figure.

The safest approach is to apply through the official channels below, get shortlisted, and let the recruiter or hiring manager confirm the actual figure for the specific role you're being considered for.

Qualification Details You Should Actually Check

Before you submit an application, line your documents up against what the specific listing asks for. In general terms:

• Matric certificate or NQF Level 4 equivalent is the non-negotiable minimum for entry-level and client support roles.
• Certified copies of your ID and qualifications are usually required once you're shortlisted, even if the initial application only asks for uploads.
• Relevant coursework or certificates in customer service, business administration, or insurance-related short courses can strengthen an application but are rarely compulsory at entry level.
• Prior call centre or retail customer service experience, even informal or part-time, is often viewed favourably for client support roles, though many listings are explicitly open to candidates with no prior work experience.
• For learnership programmes specifically, check the age bracket and whether the programme requires you to be unemployed or not currently studying full-time, since SETA-funded learnerships often have these conditions attached.

Documents You'll Likely Need to Apply

Keep these ready in digital format before you start an online application, since most portals time out or ask for uploads mid-form:

1. Updated CV or resume
2. Certified copy of your Matric certificate or highest qualification
3. Certified copy of your South African ID or valid work permit
4. Proof of residence (sometimes requested at the interview stage rather than application stage)
5. Any relevant additional certificates, such as short courses in customer service or computer literacy
6. A short cover letter or motivation, where the application form allows for one

Why These Roles Are Worth Considering

Client support and entry-level roles at large financial services groups aren't just a paycheck. A few real advantages worth weighing:

• Structured training: Both companies run onboarding and skills development programmes, which matters if you're starting your first formal job and need to build workplace habits and technical knowledge from scratch.
• Career mobility within the group: Santam sits within the Sanlam Group and Old Mutual operates across multiple business lines, so a client support role can be a genuine entry point into underwriting, claims, financial advisory, or operations roles over time.
• Exposure to a regulated industry: Experience in financial services, even at entry level, is transferable to banking, other insurers, and broader corporate customer service roles later in your career.
• Benefits beyond salary: Access to medical aid contributions, retirement savings vehicles, and, in some cases, staff discounts on the company's own financial products.
• Established employer credibility: Having a recognisable, JSE-listed employer on your CV carries weight when you apply elsewhere down the line.

None of this replaces doing your own research into a specific role's day-to-day demands, but it's a reasonable case for why these companies are worth your application effort rather than a shortcut past due diligence.

How to Apply the Right Way

1. Go directly to the official career portals: Santam recruits through santam.co.za/careers and the shared Sanlam career portal at careers.sanlamcloud.co.za. Old Mutual recruits through its own site at oldmutual.co.za/careers, with live listings hosted on its Workday-powered careers portal.
2. Search or filter for client service, client support, call centre, or consultant roles, and separately check for learnership and graduate programme listings if you want a structured entry point.
3. Read the full job description on the official listing, not a summary on a third-party blog, so you know the actual requirements, location, and application deadline for that specific vacancy.
4. Register an account on the portal if required, upload your CV and supporting documents, and complete the online application form fully rather than leaving optional fields blank.
5. Keep an eye on your email and phone for screening calls. Santam notes that shortlisted candidates may be contacted for a short screening interview before moving to a formal competency-based interview.
6. If invited to interview, prepare using the actual job description as your guide, since both companies tend to use structured, competency-based interview formats rather than open-ended chats.

Official Contact Points

• Santam official careers site: santam.co.za/careers
• Santam and Sanlam Group shared career portal: careers.sanlamcloud.co.za
• Old Mutual official careers site: oldmutual.co.za/careers
• Old Mutual live vacancy listings: hosted via Old Mutual's official Workday careers portal, linked from oldmutual.co.za/careers

Always apply from these official domains. Do not pay any fee, "registration charge," or "processing fee" to anyone claiming to fast-track a Santam or Old Mutual application. Neither company charges job seekers to apply.

Expert Tips Before You Hit Submit

• Tailor your CV to highlight communication skills and any customer-facing experience, even informal ones like retail, hospitality, or volunteer work, since client support hiring managers weight this heavily.
• Double check that your contact details on the application match your CV exactly, since mismatches are a common reason applications get flagged as incomplete.
• If a learnership listing mentions a SETA-registered NQF qualification, understand that this is a training and work-experience programme, not a permanent job guarantee, and ask about post-programme absorption rates if that's offered during the interview.
• Follow up politely, once, through the official contact channel if you haven't heard back within the timeframe stated on the listing, rather than repeatedly re-applying to the same vacancy.
• Practice basic call centre scenario answers, such as how you'd handle an upset client, since this is a near-universal interview question for client support roles at insurers.

Related Opportunities Worth Exploring

If client support roles at Santam or Old Mutual don't line up with what's currently open, it's worth widening your search within the same industry. Other South African financial services and insurance groups, including Sanlam directly, Discovery, Momentum, and Outsurance, run comparable matriculant-level client service and learnership programmes. Banking groups such as Standard Bank, Absa, and Capitec also regularly advertise contact centre and branch support roles with similar Matric-level entry requirements, so applying across a few of these in parallel improves your odds without lowering your standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply with only a Matric certificate and no work experience? Yes, for most entry-level client support, call centre, and administrative roles, a Matric certificate is the core requirement, and many listings explicitly welcome candidates with no prior formal work experience.

Is there an application fee to apply for Santam or Old Mutual vacancies? No. Legitimate applications through the official career portals are free. Any request for payment to "secure" an interview or job offer is a scam.

How long does the hiring process usually take? It varies by role and application volume. Santam notes that vacancies are typically advertised for a few days depending on the role, followed by screening and competency-based interviews, so the full process from application to offer can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month.

Do these companies offer remote client support roles? Santam has noted that a large proportion of its staff work remotely, so some client support and consultant roles may include remote or hybrid arrangements, though this depends on the specific vacancy and is not guaranteed across every role.

Are learnerships the same as permanent jobs? No. Learnerships are structured, time-bound training programmes that combine classroom learning with workplace experience and usually lead to an NQF-recognised qualification. They may improve your chances of being hired permanently afterward, but they are not automatically permanent positions.

Where can I check if a job listing I saw online is genuine? Cross-check any vacancy against the official Santam or Old Mutual careers page directly. If the listing only exists on a third-party blog and can't be found on the company's own portal, treat it with caution.

Disclaimer

This article is written for general informational purposes to help matriculants and job seekers understand the career landscape at Santam and Old Mutual. Specific vacancy availability, exact salary and stipend figures, application deadlines, and eligibility criteria change regularly and are set solely by Santam and Old Mutual. This piece does not claim to list live, currently open vacancies, exact compensation figures, or guaranteed outcomes, since none of these are consistently published in a fixed, public format by either company. Always confirm current openings, requirements, and deadlines directly on the official Santam and Old Mutual career portals before applying, and never pay any third party for access to a job application or interview.

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