How to Become a Pharmacist in South Africa

Career summary

Pharmacists are the medicine experts in a health team. They check that a prescription is safe, hand over the right medicine, and explain how to take it. People trust them with their health, so they must be careful and honest every day.

To become a pharmacist in South Africa you study a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree that takes at least four years. After that you work as an intern, then do a year of community service. While you do community service your registration carries a limit, which the council takes off once your service is signed off. You register with the South African Pharmacy Council as an intern, then as a pharmacist.

Pharmacists work in community pharmacies, hospitals and clinics. Some pharmacists move between clinics and hospitals in one area. State hospital pharmacist posts can include shifts, night duty and weekends. Even so, some pharmacists say it is rewarding to help sick people get well.

A Day in the Life

A pharmacist's day is busy and full of checks. This is a general day in a pharmacy; hospital and community days differ.

Handle high-risk medicines — Some medicines, such as Schedule 5 and 6, are called high risk. In a hospital, the pharmacy delivers them to the wards.
Check every prescription — You read each prescription and check the medicine and the dose. If something looks wrong, you phone the doctor and suggest a change. One wrong strength can harm a patient.
Hand over and explain — You give the patient the medicine and explain how to take it. Pharmacists counsel patients on the correct use of their medicines.
Order stock and guide your team — You order stock, watch for shortages and supervise pharmacist's assistants. In a hospital, if a medicine runs out, you may phone nearby hospitals to find it.
A patient gets better — One of the best parts is seeing a patient recover.

Choose this career if…

You are careful with detail
You can be trusted with things that matter
You explain things well
You keep your cool when someone is rude to you
You are comfortable with numbers
You are fine working nights, weekends and public holidays

Qualification

4years
Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
Registers you as a Pharmacist
For school-leavers with Mathematics and the sciences. A four-year degree approved by the pharmacy council, offered at some public universities. Each school sets its own entry rules.
Regulated under Regulations relating to Pharmacy Education and Training, GNR.1156 of 20 November 2000 · GG 21754 · (2000), as amended by Notice No. 4937, GG 50766, 7 June 2024
SAQA ID 65130 · NQF 8 · 480 credits

Support roles do not make you a pharmacist

Pharmacist's assistants and pharmacy technicians work under a pharmacist's supervision. To register as a pharmacist you need an approved pharmacy programme, which must run for at least four years.

Salary

Then it grows

State pharmacist, Grade 3: top of scale
R1 105 000
Gated at a minimum of 13 years after registration, for South African-qualified applicants
State pharmacist, Grade 3: start of scale
R1 041 000
Gated at a minimum of 13 years after registration, for South African-qualified applicants
State pharmacist, Grade 2: top of scale
R1 012 000
Gated at a minimum of 5 years after registration, for South African-qualified applicants
State pharmacist, Grade 2: start of scale
R954 000
Gated at a minimum of 5 years after registration, for South African-qualified applicants
State pharmacist, Grade 1: top of scale
R937 000
No experience needed after registration with the council, for South African-qualified applicants
State pharmacist, Grade 1: start of scale
R883 000
No experience needed after registration with the council, for South African-qualified applicants

DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular 37 of 2026 (Free State Health), as at October 2026 — total package.

Matric Requirements

Pass type you need

Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm): National Senior Certificate with a Bachelor’s degree pass

Maths Literacy can close the pharmacist degree

Of the four schools we checked, three require Mathematics and one strongly recommends it. One says Maths Literacy will not be considered. Pharmacist's assistant and pharmacy technician qualifications also list Mathematics. Check each school's rules before you choose your subjects.

Mathematics or Maths Literacy?

Decide nowGrade 10 and 11 · still reversible

In Grade 10 or 11, if you want to be a pharmacist, choose Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences. Check each pharmacy school's entry rules early. If you take Maths Literacy now, ask your school whether you can still switch to Mathematics.

✓ You take Mathematics

Mathematics with Physical Sciences and Life Sciences keeps the Bachelor of Pharmacy open at the schools we checked, if your marks meet each school's level.
Mathematics with Life Sciences also meets the stated entry rules for Pharmacist's Assistant (Basic) and Pharmacy Technician qualifications.
The pharmacy council's pre-registration exam has a calculations section, so strong Mathematics helps later too.

✕ You take Mathematical Literacy

Of the four schools we checked, three require Mathematics and one strongly recommends it. One of the three says Maths Literacy will not be considered. The school that strongly recommends Mathematics names it, not Maths Literacy.
Pharmacist's Assistant (Basic) and Pharmacy Technician qualifications list Mathematics in their entry rules, so check with the provider before you apply.
The Higher Certificate: Pharmacy Support lists Maths Literacy as assumed learning, and its National Senior Certificate entry rule names no Mathematics. It is a support-level qualification and does not make you a pharmacist.

Best School Subjects

Essential

Mathematics · Three of the four schools we checked require it and the fourth strongly recommends it.

Strongly recommended

Physical Sciences · Three of the four schools we checked require it; one strongly recommends it, with or without Life Sciences.
Life Sciences · Some pharmacy schools require it.
English · Either Home Language or First Additional Language is accepted at the schools we checked.

Also useful

Business Studies · Helps if you want to own a pharmacy one day.

Professional Registration

This career is associated with the The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC).

You register in one of these categories:

Pharmacist
Pharmacist intern
Specialist pharmacist

Studied pharmacy outside South Africa?

The law says community service applies to any person registering for the first time as a pharmacist, so you may need to do it. Ask the pharmacy council what applies to you.

Practical Requirements

One-year community serviceCommunity service
First-time registration in the Pharmacist category. Under the community service regulations, the service is done in a public health facility on a list the Minister publishes. It adds up to at least one calendar year and must finish within two years of starting.
Required by law · Pharmacy Act 53 of 1974, s 14A(1); Regulations GNR R.1157 of 20 November 2000
Pre-registration examinationRequirement
Release from internship and registration as a pharmacist. The pharmacy council runs an online, open-book pre-registration examination for interns. It has general questions and calculations. You get a limited number of attempts, and you must pass before you are released from the internship.
Pharmacist internship (at least 12 months)Internship
Registration as a pharmacist: after an approved programme you must first register as a pharmacist intern. After your degree you work for at least 12 months under the direct supervision of a registered tutor, in a pharmacy or with a provider the council has approved. You register with the pharmacy council as a pharmacist intern first. You normally register as a pharmacist only after this internship; the council can excuse you from all or part of it if you can show equal practical training.
Required by law · Reg 5, Regulations relating to Pharmacy Education and Training (GNR.1156 of 2000), as substituted by Notice 4937, GG 50766 (2024)

Training continues after the degree

After the degree you do an internship of at least 12 months, then one year of community service. While you do community service, your registration carries a limit that comes off once your service is signed off. Plan for this time after you graduate.

Career Ladder

Pharmacist intern · Bachelor of Pharmacy, then an internship of at least 12 months · NQF 8
Community service pharmacist · Registered pharmacist with a community service limitation · NQF 8
Pharmacist · Registered pharmacist (Grade 1 in state service) · NQF 8
Senior pharmacist (state Grade 2) · A minimum of 5 years' experience after registration · NQF 8
Senior pharmacist (state Grade 3) · A minimum of 13 years' experience after registration · NQF 8
Specialist pharmacist · Specialist registration

Last reviewed October 2026. We work hard to keep this information accurate, but details can change — always verify before making a career decision. Tell us something is out of date.