< back

Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa

Delegates

User Placeholder

Delegate

Aluwani Manenzhe

Email

User Placeholder

Alternate 1

Pat De Witt

National diploma in OT (Pretoria), MSc OT ( Wits) and PhD (Wits )

Email

Working in South Africa

General Information

Number of occupational therapists in South Africa

6,597

Terminology

In South Africa , the term "occupational therapist" is also referred to as no

Main language(s) spoken in South Africa

English

Other languages commonly spoken in South Africa

Afrikaans, Zulu, Sotho

Registration

Occupational therapists are required to register with a federal/national organisation to practice

Required
Health Professions Council of South Africa – http://www.hpcsa.co.za (External) ↗ 553 Corner Hamilton and Madiba Streets, Arcadia, Pretoria Postal address: P O Box 205, Pretoria, 0001

Occupational therapists are required to register with a state/regional organisation to practice

Not Required

It is compulsory to join the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa in order to practice as an occupational therapist

No

Practicing Requirements

Graduation from a WFOT approved programme is required to register to practice

No
All South African education programs are WFOT approved, but it is not a requirement for practice.

Language(s) that are required for occupational therapists to practice

English
There are 11 official languages recognised in South Africa. Some practices employ therapists who speak local languages for easy communication with clients.

Additional requirements for occupational therapists to practice

All occupational therapists, after qualification, have to complete a year's community service in the public health system. Once this has been completed, they can register with the HPCSA as an independent practitioner. All occupational therapists have to pay an annual fee to re-register and have to be compliant with the HPCSA's CPD regulations

Employment Opportunities

Occupational therapy is recognised as a shortage occupation

Yes
We have stringent austerity measures in the public sector, which have resulted in posts in the public sector being frozen. This is especially problematic in the more rural provinces. Jobs are being advertised in the private sector more regularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, when posts in the private sector were hard to come by. The exact unemployment rate of occupational therapists is uncertain at this stage, although there are increasing reports of this.

Sources of information for occupational therapist employment opportunities

Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa Website - http://www.otasa.org.za (External) ↗.
Government websites of the departments employing occupational therapists.

Immigration

Immigration regulations or visa requirements to practice

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Occupational therapy assistants exist in South Africa

Yes

Number of occupational therapy assistants in South Africa

404

Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa has a membership category for occupational therapy assistants

Yes

It is compulsory to join the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa in order to practice as an occupational therapy assistant

No

Occupational therapy assistants require formal training in occupational therapy to work as such in South Africa

Yes
There is no training at present.

Occupational therapy assistants need to register with a federal/national organisation to practice in South Africa

Yes
Health Professions Council of South Africa – http://www.hpcsa.co.za (External) ↗ 553 Corner Hamilton and Madiba Streets, Arcadia, Pretoria Postal address: P O Box 205, Pretoria, 0001

Occupational therapy assistants need to register with a state/regional organisation to practice in South Africa

No
Disclaimer: This information was provided by Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa and was last updated on 14th July 2025. WFOT is not liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, or changes in the information provided. This information is intended as a guide and should be independently verified before making any decisions.

Definition of Occupational Therapy in South Africa

Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa's definition of occupational therapy in own language

Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and wellbeing through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their abilityto engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or bymodifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement.
Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa is currently using the WFOT definition but are planning on developing their own definition at a workshop in 2016.
Definition date: May 2017

Publications

South african Journal of Occupational therapy

This is the official peer-reviewed, open access journal of the South African Association of Occupational Therapy and is the leading publication for research on Occupational Therapy in Africa.

Type: Journal (Peer-Reviewed)
Languages: English
Frequency: 3 Per Annum
More Information: Read More (External) ↗

Focus

Focus, the official magazine of the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA), features practice-based articles across a range of occupational therapy fields along with national news, updates, tributes and OTASA committee report backs.

Type: Magazine
Languages: English
Frequency: 3 Per Annum
More Information: Read More (External) ↗

Education Programmes

WFOT Approved Programmes in South Africa

8