Before you apply for any of the following jobs in PRASA vacancies, here, you can learn more about the company and what makes it an ideal workplace for you.
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PRASA, as one of the state-run enterprises, is a good place to go if you, an experienced job seeker, are tempted to take on new challenges.
Offering a variety of great benefits, you will be surprised how PRASA always prioritizes the development of its employees to be the best at all times.
Below, you can learn about PRASA’s business model, its history, the benefits of working for PRASA, the types of positions frequently offered, and how to apply for the vacancies.
However, before you read any further about the organisation, join our FREE newsletter here to get the latest notifications from your dream companies.
About the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
As the name suggests, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is a state-owned operation responsible for the majority of passenger rail services in the country.
In other words, it is a public company wholly owned by the government. PRASA is required to report directly to the Minister of Transport as the person in charge.
The main task of PRASA is to deliver commuter rail services in metropolitan areas in the country.
In addition, PRASA is also responsible for administering long-distance rail and bus services to and from the borders of the Republic of South Africa.
PRASA was founded in 1990 under the initial name South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC).
However, on 23 December 2008, SARCC has renamed the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.
Officially, PRASA was launched in 2009 after combining assets from Metrorail, Shosholoza Meyl, Autopax and Intersite Property Management Services under a new organisation.
Today, more than 17 thousand employees are working for PRASA in three divisions and two subsidiaries.
Metrorail operates in four of South Africa’s provinces, namely the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Western Cape.
These regions operate independently of one another and report to the Metrorail Head Office in Johannesburg.
Metrorail transports about two million passengers per day, thereby accounting for roughly 15% of the people using public transport daily in South Africa.
They operate at 468 stations (317 owned by PRASA and 151 by Transnet), with the rolling stock fleet consisting of approximately 400 train sets, and with train sets varying in size between 8 and 14 coaches per train set.
Mainline Passenger Services operates long-distance passenger trains throughout South Africa.
Shosholoza Meyl currently services 21 routes between major destinations in South Africa. It carries over 3.9 million passengers per annum.
On the other hand, Premier Classe is focused on providing luxury services on specific routes.
Why Work at PRASA
- Diverse-cultured workplace
- Lots of potential for growth
- Great employee benefits
- Ability to work independently
- Network deployment and support
- Good wage
Most Popular Types of PRASA Jobs
As a business entity that naturally deals with customer service, unexpectedly, PRASA vacancies almost always involve administrative positions.
For example, below are the most popular positions in PRASA:
1. Assistant Manager
An Assistant Manager, or Associate Manager, is responsible for implementing workflow procedures based on direction from the company’s Manager.
As an Assistant Manager, your duties will include supervising employees during day-to-day tasks, providing customer support in escalated situations and managing the overall workflow of a workplace.
Your role is to improve workplace efficiency and keep staff satisfied by acting as an intermediary between upper-level management and entry-level roles who work directly with customers.
Then, you will have to gather feedback from employees, managers and customers to make useful adjustments to company procedures.
Since Assistant Managers are responsible for many crucial business aspects, candidates should be equipped with a variety of skills and qualifications including:
- Strong managerial skills
- Leadership skills
- Negotiation skills
- Multitasking abilities
- Good time management and organisation skills
- Excellent customer service skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills, oral and written communication skills
- Proficient in computer and numeric skills
- Ability to encourage and motivate staff
- Attention to detail and ability to cope with crises and make decisions
The minimum requirements to apply to this position include:
- Grade 12
- National Diploma or a Bachelor’s degree in relevant field
- Working experience in relevant field
- Valid driver’s licence
2. Creditors Administrator
A Creditors Administrator is responsible for managing creditors by ensuring invoices are timely and properly captured to process payments, reduce interest charges and avoid fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
As a Creditors Administrator, your duties will include controlling and managing creditors, capturing invoices, and submitting remittance advice to suppliers after payment.
PRASA expects all of its candidates to possess the following skills as an excellent Creditors Administrator:
- Financial acumen
- Communication skills
- Data analysis
- Interpersonal skills
- Computer literacy
- Conflict management
- Decision-making skills
- Negotiation skills
- Analytical skills
- Accounting principle
The minimum requirements to apply to this position include:
- Grade 12 certificate
- National Diploma in Accounting or Cost Management Accounting or Financial Management.
- One year of experience in finance including invoice capturing
3. Manager
Managers are the people in charge of employees and the facilities they work for.
As a manager, your job is to plan and promote the daily schedule of employees and the business, interview, hire, and coordinate employees, create and maintain budgets, and coordinate with and report to senior management in the company.
You should have prerequisite skills and qualifications such as exceptional leadership, communication and interpersonal skills.
Several other required skills include:
- Computer literacy
- Negotiation skills
- Policy analysis and development
- Problem-solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Report writing skills
- Conflict resolution
- Technical skills
- Coordination skills
The minimum requirements to apply to this position include:
- Grade 12
- A Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Purchasing Management or Procurement or Supply Chain Management or Logistics
- Minimum 8 years of experience in supply chain management and 3 years of managerial experience
- Registration with CIPS
How to Apply for PRASA Vacancies
To apply for any job from PRASA vacancies, first of all, you should visit its career opportunities page here.
Then, choose your position, and read the job description and whole requirements carefully.
Next, send your latest CV along with some required qualifications and certificates along with a copy of your ID to the email address listed in the job advertisement.
Also, don’t forget to include the reference number in your application clearly. Please note that incomplete applications will be dismissed.
Looking for more jobs? Check out other vacancies that we have summarized for you in the guides below: