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Looking At Software Developer Jobs in Cape Town?
Kyle DorflingAug 17, 2017 3:46:39 PM8 min read

Looking At Software Developer Jobs in Cape Town? Here's What To Know

One thing we can all agree on is that job searches are often stressful, uncomfortable, awkward and even invasive. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this blog, I'm going to talk about some of the things you need to know if you are searching for Software Developer jobs in Cape Town. I'm also going to take ALL of the guesswork out of our Software Developer hiring process here at DotActiv.

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Software Developer jobs in Cape Town

Okay, so you're looking for Software Developer jobs in Cape Town. Good move. Cape Town is considered by many as the Silicon Valley of Africa. In fact, a recent article by businesstech.co.za mentioned a report, Tech Cities 2017, which was compiled by global property firm, Savills.

The report confirms Cape Town as a “major tech hub with potential as a rising global player” by ranking it at number 22 on the list. You can read the original article here.

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Living and working as a software developer in Cape Town

There are a few things you need to know about working in Cape Town. The first is that living costs in Cape Town are extremely high when compared to the rest of the Western Cape.

Another article by businesstech.co.za, titled “Cape Town city centre property prices reach eye-watering levels” confirms that by quoting Seeff. The estate agency notes that the average price of property sold increased by 18% from R2.2-million to almost R2.6-million in 2017. To purchase a property at a value of R2.6-million, you would need to be earning about R85 000 per month before tax. That is according to FNB’s bond affordability calculator.

But, not all is lost. There are a few places where you can enjoy the same benefits of living in the Western Cape but aren’t quite as expensive.

The trick to landing a great Software Developer job in the Western Cape is to find one in Somerset West or Stellenbosch and to live close by. This will give you the peace, serenity and security of living (and possibly raising a family) in a well-kept town without having to sell a kidney to afford the living costs. Since we are based in Somerset West, the rest of this blog will focus on living and working here as a software developer.

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What does it cost to live in Somerset West?

Somerset West is a 45km drive from Cape Town. It’s a beautiful place to live and as I mentioned above, it’s a well-kept town that offers peaceful living. Take a look at the video below:


Getting back to the costs: Obviously, your living costs will be highly dependent on your lifestyle, but to give you an idea of the average costs of living in Somerset West vs Cape Town, here’s some interesting info:

Purchase and Rent Costs Comparison Somerset West vs Cape Town

   Somerset West  Cape Town
 2 Bedroom Apartment (Purchase)  R1.05 million  R2.16 million
 2 Bedroom Apartment (Rent)  R9 500 per month  R13 500 per month
 2 Bedroom House (Purchase)  R1.62 million  R4.2 million
 2 Bedroom House (Rent)  R15 000 per month  R17 500 per month


Gross Income Bond Affordability Comparison Somerset West vs Cape Town

   Somerset West   Cape Town
 2 Bedroom Apartment  R34 000 per month  R70 500 per month
 2 Bedroom House  R53 000 per month  R131 000 per month


To summarise, if your combined household income is between R34 000 and R54 000 per month then it’s safe to say that you could live a quality life in Somerset West.

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What can you earn as a software developer in Somerset West?

Now that we have looked at the living costs, you will need to determine what the going rate is for a Software Developer job in Cape Town. PayScale has a lot of reliable data on the topic.

Software Developer Salary Across South Africa

Software Developers Pay Difference Across South Africa

According to the company, the average monthly salary for a Software Developer is about R22 000 per month. This figure will vary, depending on a number of variables, including specific skills, experience and qualifications. Although R22 000 per month is the average, PayScale also indicates that this monthly salary can reach as high as R44 000 per month.

If you would like to see what else you can find in terms of market salaries, visit PayScale’s website here.

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What can you earn at DotActiv as a software developer?

At DotActiv, we don’t like to keep any secrets. We’d much rather prefer to put things out in the open so that everyone involved is in a position to make informed decisions. We’re hiring C++ Software Developers and C# Software Developers and the salary bands below can be applied to both.

We also have Software Developer positions for beginners and all the way up to your advanced levels. We also pay more than double the national average in certain circumstances.

          Here’s how our salary bands work

          Band 1 - R13 000 - R18 000 per month

You don’t have to have previous experience to join us as a Software Developer. If you have little to no software development experience then you would fall into this band. You would, however, need to have a relevant Degree or Diploma.

          Band 2 - R18 000 - R26 000 per month

If you have three years experience or less as a software developer OR you have mastered at least 60% of the required skillset of the occupation, this would be your salary band. What is worth noting here is that if you have less than three years software development experience, but you have a relevant qualification and you’re a cultural fit, you will already qualify for a salary, which is higher than the national average software developer salary!

          Band 3 - R26 000 - R35 000 per month

If you have more than three years experience as a Software Developer (but less than 10) OR you have mastered at least 75% of the required skillset of the occupation, then this would be your salary band. What is nice to note here is that if you join us in band one or two then you will automatically progress through the bands as you gain experience.

          Band 4 - R35 000 - R47 500 per month

Earlier I mentioned that we pay more than double the national average. But only in certain circumstances. Here’s that circumstance.

If you have 10 or more years experience as a Software Developer OR have mastered at least 80% of the required skillset of the occupation then you will qualify for this salary band. In special circumstances, we will use this salary band to entice talent with potential into the company.

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How is DotActivs working environment?

Based in Somerset West, our office is equipped with ergonomic office chairs and has a stunning view of False Bay. Here are some pictures of what it looks like:

IMG_2772.JPG.jpgThe view from DotActiv's offices with False Bay in the background

Boardroom.jpgThe DotActiv boardroom

Other than our ergonomic physical environment here are some of the values that are very important to our team at DotActiv.

It’s one thing to talk about our values, but it’s another to live by them. Here’s what one of our Software Developers had to say about working here:

“I joined DotActiv in 2012 as a Software Developer. Today I know that my opinion is taken very seriously and that I get to stamp a lot of my own creativity on the DotActiv software. What excites me about this is that the products which I have worked on are used all over the world by leading retail brands and they have been formally recognised by customers as excellent.” - Chris

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Who should apply?

DotActiv is a 100% equal opportunity employer. This means that under no circumstances will we discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, colour, religion, nationality, sex, physical or mental disability, or age. So, if you have the skills to add value to our software development team, we want you to get hold of us.

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How does DotActiv’s hiring process work?

Let’s say that you’re interested in applying with us. Good choice. But what can you expect from our hiring process? Searching for jobs is daunting. But not as daunting as the actual hiring process that you have to go through once you’ve applied.

Here’s an overview of the steps we take at DotActiv:

          Apply

For us to start the process, you will need to start by applying for either a C++ or C# position. If you want to ask us a question before applying outright then you can do that here.

          Take an hour-long online test

Once we have reviewed your profile (2 working days) and swapped some basic information, we will invite you to take an online test, which will take no longer than one hour. You can complete the test in your own time, and wherever you’re comfortable.

          Schedule a two-way interview

If you have passed the test, we will move to schedule a two-way interview. The purpose of this interview is NOT to interrogate you but rather for us to answer each other’s questions and to figure out if we would get along as colleagues. This interview can be via Skype or in-person - it’s completely your choice.

           Visit our office

If you haven’t visited our office at this point you will be invited to come and take a look at our environment.

           Consider our offer

Hopefully, at this stage, we will have been able to confirm a formal offer. As soon as it's ready, we will send it to you along with all of the relevant paperwork for you to consider.

           Onboarding

If you choose to accept the offer then you will begin our paperless onboarding process. Our team will also help you to set up your development environment and will help you to familiarise yourself with our code.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a software development job in Cape Town, consider us because we are hiring. You can browse our open positions here. 

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Kyle Dorfling

Kyle joined DotActiv in 2009. He gained experience across multiple facets of the business before his appointment as Acting CEO in 2021.

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