Electrical work is the home job where a shortcut can stay hidden in the ceiling until it starts a fire. In South Africa the rules around it are clearer than many people realise: the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009, decide who may sign off an installation, and the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is the paper that proves it was done and tested properly. Knowing how to hire an electrician here comes down to a handful of checks before anyone opens the DB board.
This guide covers sizing the job, what registration means and how to check it, when you need a CoC, what a proper written quote covers, the red flags, and when a small job can go through a free Hirovo post.
Size the job before you hire an electrician
Replacing a light fitting and replacing the distribution board are both electrical work, but the person you need is different.
| Job | CoC needed? | Who to hire |
|---|---|---|
| Replace a plug, switch or light fitting like for like | Usually not a new installation, but ask. | A competent electrician; a small local hire can suit it. |
| Trace a trip or a dead circuit | Depends on the repair that follows. | An experienced electrician with a proper tester. |
| New plug or light circuit, stove point, geyser circuit | Yes, additions and alterations need one. | A registered person under a registered electrical contractor. |
| Replace or upgrade the distribution board | Yes. | A registered person; three-phase needs an installation electrician or above. |
| CoC inspection for a property sale | That is the job. | A registered person whose category covers the property. |
| Inverter, battery or solar installation | Yes, for the electrical work; grid-tied systems also need municipal approval. | A registered person plus a solar-trained installer. |
How to check if an electrician is registered
Trade test and registration are different things
An electrician who has passed the trade test, often called Red Seal, is a qualified artisan. That is good, but it does not on its own allow them to issue a CoC. For that, the regulations require a registered person in one of three categories: an electrical tester for single phase, an installation electrician or a master installation electrician. The categories set what the person may certify: single phase for most houses, three phase for many flats, shops and larger properties, and specialised installations, such as hazardous locations, for the master category.
The contractor must be registered too
Electrical installation work must be done by or under the control of a registered electrical contractor. So the check has two parts: the person who signs, and the business they sign for. A good electrician will tell you both without hesitation.
- Ask for the registration category and number and look at the card or certificate.
- Ask for the registered electrical contractor’s name and check it matches the quote and invoice.
- If something does not add up, ask the Department of Employment and Labour, which keeps the registrations, how to confirm it.
- For bigger jobs, ask for a reference from a recent customer with a similar job.
When you need an electrical Certificate of Compliance
A CoC confirms that the installation was inspected and tested against the wiring code, SANS 10142-1, when it was issued, and it comes with a test report. You should receive one:
- after a new installation, such as a new house, a flatlet or an outbuilding;
- after additions or alterations, such as new circuits, a new stove or geyser circuit, or a replaced DB board;
- when you sell, because the sale agreement and the conveyancer usually require the seller to provide one. How recent it must be depends on the regulations and your agreement, so ask the conveyancer early.
If you are buying a house, ask to see the seller’s CoC and test report before transfer, and ask what was fixed to get it. A CoC describes the installation on the day it was inspected; if the seller or a previous owner added circuits later without a new certificate, that work is not covered. Anything you add after you move in needs its own CoC for the alteration.
Keep your CoCs and test reports with the title deed. Insurers may ask about the electrical installation after a fire, and a buyer will ask when you sell. A CoC for a new circuit only covers that alteration; for a sale, the inspection covers the whole fixed installation.
Post a free job on Hirovo: what needs doing, your area and when. People nearby who do electrical work can apply or message you, and you decide who to hire.
Post a free job →What sets the price of electrical work in South Africa
Any Rand figure you see online is somebody else’s job. What you pay depends on:
- The type and size of the job, and whether several small jobs can be done in one visit.
- Materials: breakers, earth leakage units, cable, fittings, and whether you supply them.
- The state of the existing installation, which often only shows once the DB board is opened.
- Access: roof spaces, chasing walls and making good afterwards.
- Testing and the CoC, including any retest after repairs.
- Call-out and travel, and emergency, after-hours or weekend rates.
For anything more than a small repair, get at least two written quotes and compare them line by line. A cheaper quote that leaves out the CoC, the making good or the retest is not cheaper.
Written quotes, your rights and red flags
A proper quote is written and itemised: labour, materials, testing, the CoC, making good, how long the price is valid, when work will start and when payment is due. The Consumer Protection Act gives you rights as a customer: work must be done in a proper and timely manner and to a reasonable quality, and installed parts carry an implied warranty. Raise problems in writing first. If that fails, the provincial consumer protection office or the National Consumer Commission can advise you.
Walk away from anyone who:
- says “you don’t need a CoC” for a new circuit or a new DB board;
- will not tell you their registration category or the contractor they work for;
- offers to sign a CoC without testing, or asks for extra to “make it pass”;
- wants cash only with no invoice, or a large deposit before any work;
- gives one figure with no breakdown, or pressures you to decide on the spot.
Questions to ask before you choose an electrician
A short conversation before the quote tells you a lot. A good electrician answers these without getting defensive:
- What do you think the problem is, and how will you confirm it? A vague answer to a tripping earth leakage often means guesswork and repeat call-outs.
- Will this job need a CoC, and who will sign it? The answer should name a person and a registration category.
- What happens if you find more wrong once the board is open? Agree that extra work is quoted and approved before it is done.
- Who makes good the walls and ceiling? Chasing for new cables leaves damage; know whether plastering and painting are included.
- How long is your workmanship guaranteed, and how do I reach you? A cellphone number alone, with no business name or address, is thin.
- Can I speak to a recent customer? Especially for a DB board, a rewire or a sale inspection.
Geysers, stoves and other big loads
Many South African callouts involve the geyser or the stove. The electrical side, meaning the isolator, the circuit and the element or thermostat wiring, is electrical work; the geyser itself, its valves and its installation to SANS 10254 are plumbing work. Replacing a burst geyser usually needs both trades, and your insurer may want reports from each. Ask up front which parts each person will do and who issues which certificate, so nothing falls between them.
Safety while the work is done
Agree when the power will be off and for how long, especially if someone at home needs medical equipment or works from home, and plan around load shedding if it is back in your area. Keep children and pets away from open DB boards and ceiling hatches. If you employ a domestic worker, tell them what is happening and which areas to avoid; our guide on hiring a domestic worker in South Africa covers your wider duties as an employer.
How to hire an electrician for small jobs with a Hirovo post
Plenty of electrical firms prefer big jobs, so a single faulty plug can be hard to book. A Hirovo post is a simple way to reach people nearby instead, and it is free. Describe the job, add a photo of the fault or fitting, and give your suburb rather than your street address; share the address by message once you have chosen someone. Hirovo is new in South Africa, so you may get only a few replies at first.
Be clear about what Hirovo is. It does not vet applicants or check registration, trade certificates or insurance; it is not an electrical contractor or an agency, and the checks in this guide are yours to make. A post suits small household jobs. For a CoC, a DB board, a rewire or new circuits, hire a registered person working under a registered electrical contractor on a written quote. For help with the wording, see how to write a job post. If you do electrical work yourself, read electrician jobs in South Africa.
Five checks before work starts: the registration category and number of the person who will sign · the registered electrical contractor’s name on the quote · a written, itemised quote that includes testing and the CoC · who makes good walls and ceilings · the CoC and test report you will receive at the end.
In short
Size the job first. New circuits, DB boards, stove and geyser circuits, inverters and sale inspections need a registered person working under a registered electrical contractor, and a Certificate of Compliance at the end. Small like-for-like repairs can be a quick local hire. Either way, ask for the registration category, get the price in writing, keep your CoCs with your house papers, and walk away from anyone who says the certificate is not needed.