Debtors Clerk

A debtors' clerk keeps record of customers' accounts at an undertaking and recovers the undertaking's debts. These records are kept in the form of books, record cards or on computer.

A debtors’ clerk does routine work in the accounts department of an undertaking. He keeps record of the money owed to the undertaking and payments made. He uses his records to determine which accounts are overdue and he contacts those persons/institutions in writing or by telephone in order to recover the outstanding balance. He determines a deadline for payment and follows up on the payment of the accounts. If the date of payment is not met, the debtors’ clerk decides which steps have to be taken (for example to sue the person / institution).

The debtors’ clerk also carries out routine bookkeeping duties in order to submit a record of all overdue accounts at the end of every month to the head of the undertaking’s financial department or the board of directors of the company. These duties also include calculating interest on overdue accounts.

The debtors’ clerk generally works in an office with a telephone and a computer.

Personal Requirements

have an outgoing personality
be able to relate well to people
be able to work in a stressful environment
able to be firm when clients are reluctant to pay their debts
be interested in bookkeeping
be prepared to spend most of his working day doing calculations

How to Enter

Schooling & School Subjects

National Senior Certificate meeting degree requirements for a degree course
Each institution has its own entry requirements.

What to Study

Most debtors’ clerks receive in-service training in the financial department of a company. You can also follow a computer course in a financial computer programme at a private college before you start working, or your employer might send you on such a computer course.

Degree: BCom degree is recommended if you are interested in being promoted to a more senior position in the financial department of the company, available at all South African universities except Medunsa. There are also various other short courses in Finance that you could consider.

Diploma: - N.Dip. Cost and Management Accounting - CPUT, CUT, DUT, VUT, NMMU, UNISA
N.Dip. Accounting - CPUT, CUT, DUT, TUT, VUT
Finance - e.g. Flavius Mareka, N Cape, Tshwane S, Umgungundlovu, NorthlinkTVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) Colleges.