O'Keeffe & Swartz — Honest Reviews 2026R6,000–R18,000/month + commission · Employee Ratings & Insider Opinions

O'Keeffe & Swartz gives Johannesburg Matric graduates a practical first step into sales work without demanding previous experience. The company runs contact-centre sales campaigns and pays a base salary plus commission, so your earnings can grow if you stick with the process. New starters begin with structured training that covers product knowledge, call scripts, and basic objection handling. Most people spend the first two to three weeks in a classroom setting before moving to the floor with a mentor listening in on calls. The training is hands-on rather than theoretical, which helps if you learn better by doing than by reading manuals. Day-to-day work involves making outbound sales calls during set shifts. You will speak to strangers, repeat your pitch many times, and hear “no” far more often than “yes.” The environment is fast-paced and noisy, with team leaders walking the floor to offer quick tips. Pay starts between R6,000 and R10,000 while you are still learning, then moves toward R12,000–R18,000 once you hit consistent targets. Commission makes a real difference, but it also means some months feel tighter than others. From here you can move into team-leader roles or specialist campaigns if you show steady results and reliability. The communication and resilience skills you build transfer to other sales or customer-service jobs across Gauteng. Many people use the role as a six-to-eighteen-month bridge before applying elsewhere with more confidence on their CV. This is a solid option if you live in Johannesburg or nearby Gauteng areas, have just finished Matric, and want paid training while you figure out your next move. It suits people who can handle repetitive work and rejection without taking it personally.

— ShiftMate Editorial · O'Keeffe & Swartz worker

O’Keeffe & Swartz runs a typical South African BPO operation focused on outbound sales and customer service calls. The overall picture from employee feedback is average: steady work for people who can tolerate high call volumes and sales targets, but not a place that stands out for comfort or long-term satisfaction. Glassdoor gives the company 3.0 out of 5 from 30 reviews, while Indeed shows 3.3 out of 5 from 137 reviews. Only 63 % of Glassdoor reviewers would recommend it to a friend. Employees who stay often mention a supportive team environment and the chance to learn new products quickly. Reviews note a “clear sense of purpose” in the sales campaigns and say colleagues help each other hit daily targets. Culture scores the highest of the Indeed categories at 3.7, with several people describing the atmosphere as energetic rather than toxic. Training is described as practical for new starters who have never worked in a contact centre before. The negatives appear consistently across both platforms. Work-life balance scores only 2.9 on Indeed, with repeated complaints about rigid shift patterns and limited flexibility on start and finish times. Management receives 3.2, and reviewers frequently mention pressure to meet sales numbers that feels relentless. One Indeed review titled “Too much pressure that one can learn from” captures the mixed sentiment: targets are achievable for some, but the constant monitoring and coaching can wear people down. A number of staff also point to poor time and location flexibility, which matters in Johannesburg where traffic and load-shedding already complicate commutes to the Randburg site. Pay and benefits sit at 3.4 on Indeed. No exact ZAR figures appear in the scraped reviews, but employees describe the package as average for the sector—enough to cover basics but not generous on overtime or performance bonuses. Job security scores 3.4, suggesting the company keeps staff when campaigns run, yet advancement is rarely mentioned positively. Most movement appears to be sideways into different campaigns rather than clear promotion paths into team leader or quality roles. Career growth is limited. The reviews do not show strong evidence of regular internal promotions; people who want to move up usually have to apply externally after gaining a year or two of experience. For someone starting in telemarketing or customer service, the role offers basic skills in CRM systems and objection handling, but progression depends more on individual persistence than structured development. Bottom line: apply if you need immediate call-centre work, can handle daily sales pressure, and value a steady (if unspectacular) pay cheque in Randburg. Look elsewhere if you want flexible hours, strong management support, or a clear route to better pay within two years.