Sales development representative (remote)
Book meetings for a sales team by researching prospects and reaching out by email, LinkedIn and phone. Usually base salary plus commission.
- To startR0 to R3 000
- First randabout 6 weeks
- WhereOnline
- Effort Fairly easy
Is this for you?
Best for
Resilient, target-driven, clear English, comfortable with rejection and with CRMs.
In South Africa: Strong for time-zone overlap with the UK and Europe.
What you need
- A laptop or computer
- Reliable internet
- No camera needed
- Approaching people yourself
- At least 30 hours a week · age 18+
- Selling (learning or better) or Customer service (competent or better)
The money
What it can earn
- Pocket money
- A top-up
- A second income
- Can become a full income
Part time, this can become a meaningful second income once you have regular customers.
What people charge
No reliable SA figure yet
No reliable published salary data for South African remote hires. Compare listings that state a range.
Costs to plan for
- Start-up
- R0 to R3 000
- Every month
- Fibre or uncapped data, backup power.
- Payment fees
- None when employed locally or through an employer of record. Contractor payments from abroad carry payout fees.
- Margin
- N/A.
How it is paid: Monthly salary, or a contractor fee paid via an employer of record. Our viability score for it: 68 out of 100 (how we score).
How to start
Test it cheaply Before you spend
- Apply to 15 SDR roles
- Success signal: a role-play interview within three weeks
First week Days 1 to 7
- CV with any numbers you hit (targets, calls, sales)
- Write three sample outreach emails for a real company
- Apply to 10 roles
First month Days 8 to 30
- Learn one CRM free tier (HubSpot)
- Practise cold-call role plays
By three months Days 31 to 90
- Employed, or move to account management
- Ask for feedback after interviews
- Practise cold calls with a friend
Applications, interviews and notice periods before the first salary. First income usually takes 21 to 90 days. A day-by-day version for your situation is in the full plan.
Sales development representative (remote): your step-by-step start
19 short lessons with scripts, templates and rand prices to copy. R149 once-off, and the first lesson is free.
See what is insideCustomers and demand
Who pays
Employers in South Africa, the UK, Europe and the US.
Companies that need a steady pipeline of sales meetings.
Is there demand?
SDR roles are advertised on Careers24 and on remote boards such as Remotive and We Work Remotely.
Careers24Remotive (sales)We Work Remotely (sales and marketing)
Getting customers
Job applications, referrals and recruiters.
Applying for jobs or platform roles
Risks and rules
Watch out for
- Commission-only offers: insist on a base salary
- High targets and churn
Competition: Moderate.
Room to grow: Grows through career progression and raises rather than scale.
Legal and tax in South Africa
- Employed: PAYE and UIF are deducted.
- Paid as a foreign contractor: register for provisional tax with SARS and keep records.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start sales development representative in South Africa?
Our research puts start-up costs at about R0 to R3 000. Recurring costs: Fibre or uncapped data, backup power.
How long until the first income?
Typically about 45 days, and between 21 and 90 days. Applications, interviews and notice periods before the first salary.
Can I do it with only a phone?
Not really. You will need a laptop or computer for most of the work.
What about tax and legal rules?
Employed: PAYE and UIF are deducted. Paid as a foreign contractor: register for provisional tax with SARS and keep records.
Sources (3)
Free tools for this
Not sure this is the one?
The free test ranks every option against your skills, time and budget.
Read next
- How to make money online in South Africa
- How much to charge as a freelancer in South Africa
- Provisional tax for freelancers in South Africa, simply explained
- Getting paid from overseas in South Africa
- Remote jobs for South Africans
Researched by the Earn Path team · editorial policy