About the role
The University of Pretoria's Department of Information Technology Services is recruiting a permanent Helpdesk Agent to provide first line IT support to staff and postgraduate students across the university. This is a permanent, post level 9 role within one of South Africa's largest and most research intensive universities, offering a stable entry point into institutional IT support work rather than a short term contract or internship.
UP is the country's largest residential university and consistently ranks among South Africa's top research institutions, with campuses across Pretoria and Johannesburg. Its IT Services department supports a large, complex user base spanning academic staff, administrative teams, and postgraduate researchers, which gives this role broader exposure than a typical single site corporate helpdesk position.
The core of the job involves providing first line IT support to staff and postgraduate students through phone, email, a virtual agent platform, and the university's enterprise service management system. Beyond simply fielding queries, the role includes logging, tracking, and managing incidents and service requests properly through to resolution, escalating more complex issues to second and third level support teams when needed, and supporting the university's broader cybersecurity and information security initiatives as part of day to day operations.
Minimum requirements are an NQF 6 diploma with three years of relevant experience, or a Grade 12 qualification paired with five years of relevant experience, giving some flexibility for candidates without a formal diploma but with substantial hands on IT support background. Prior IT service desk experience is required, alongside solid troubleshooting ability across both hardware and software, and familiarity with a service management or ticketing platform. Certifications in A+, ITIL Foundation, and SDI SDA (Service Desk Institute Service Desk Analyst) are also listed among the minimum requirements, so candidates should confirm they hold or can readily obtain these before applying.
The estimated total cost to company salary range for this post level 9 position sits between R275,000 and R380,000 per annum, based on the applicable Peromnes grading, giving applicants a clear sense of the compensation band before applying.
This role suits IT support professionals who already have solid service desk experience and are looking for the stability of a permanent university position, along with the structured, policy driven environment that comes with working inside a large public institution rather than a smaller private company. It is a particularly good fit for candidates who already hold, or are close to completing, the specific certifications UP lists as requirements, since that puts them ahead of the field for this particular post.
Applications are submitted entirely online through the University of Pretoria's official careers platform, Careers@UP. Candidates should search specifically for the Helpdesk Agent (IT) role within the Department of Information Technology Services, confirm the current closing date on the live listing before applying, since university vacancy timelines can shift, and ensure their application reflects the specific certifications and service desk experience the role calls for.
Requirements
- NQF 6 diploma with 3 years experience, or Grade 12 with 5 years experience
- IT Service Desk experience
- Troubleshooting hardware and software
- Service management or ticketing platform experience
- A+, ITIL Foundation and SDI SDA certifications
How to apply
Applications are handled by University of Pretoria on their own site. Careers360 does not collect your documents and never charges a fee to apply.
