SOUTH AFRICA 路 SALARY IN RANDS

Cooks, Fast Food

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Cook
  • Deep Fat Fryer Operator
  • Fast Food Cook
  • Fry Cook
  • Fryer
  • Grill Cook
  • Line Cook
  • Pizza Cook

What is a cooks, fast food?

Cooks in the fast food industry are responsible for preparing and cooking food items that are typically served quickly and efficiently in a high-volume environment. They work in establishments such as fast food restaurants, food trucks, and cafeterias, where the menu often includes burgers, fries, sandwiches, and various side items. Fast food cooks must adhere to strict food safety and hygiene standards while managing the rapid pace of customer orders. They follow standardized recipes and portion sizes to ensure consistency in taste and presentation. Cooks need to be adept at using various kitchen equipment, such as fryers, grills, and ovens, and must be able to multitask effectively to meet customer demand during peak hours. Good communication and teamwork skills are crucial, as cooks often collaborate with other kitchen staff and front-of-house personnel to maintain service quality. In addition to cooking, they may also be involved in food preparation, inventory management, and maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen area.

What the work actually is

  • Order and take delivery of supplies.
  • Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
  • Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
  • Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
  • Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Knowledge

  • Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Transportation Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Communications and Media Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Public Safety and Security Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate
Less than high school diploma

A normal week

  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Getting Information
  • Handling and Moving Objects
  • Performing General Physical Activities

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Spreadsheet software Microsoft Excel
  • Point of sale POS software Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro 路 Foodman Home-Delivery 路 Plexis Software Plexis POS 路 RestaurantPlus PRO
  • Electronic mail software Microsoft Outlook
  • Word processing software Microsoft Word

Tools

  • Commercial use ranges Electric ovens 路 Gas ovens
  • Commercial use grills Grills
  • Carbonated beverage dispenser Carbonated beverage dispensers
  • Commercial use cutlery Chefs' knives
  • Commercial use griddles Griddles

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Enterprising

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

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Questions people ask

How much does a cooks, fast food earn in South Africa?

Cooks, Fast Food salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What is a cooks, fast food?

Order and take delivery of supplies, Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously and Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.