Career Profile
Advertising Copywriter
by FundiConnect Editorial Team | 17 September 2025
Career Overview
An Advertising Copywriter creates the written content for advertisements. This includes coming up with epic jingles, slogans and other written media that will be used to advertise products on TV, radio or in magazines.
Required School Subjects
You will need to have taken adequate achievement in the following subjects at high school:
- English (language, writing, creative writing etc.)
Recommended subjects:
- Geography
- History
- Art or Design
Institution and APS
In general you will need an APS of between 22 – 35+, in order to get in at one of these recommended institutions.
- University of Pretoria (UP) – APS of 35
- Nelson Mandela University (NMU) – Minimum APS of 22
- University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN) – APS of 22 – 36
- University of Witwatersrand (WITS) – APS of 34+
Required Qualifications
A degree in Media, English, Linguistics or anything relating to writing and communications would be ideal if you want to become an Advertising Copywriter. Apply for a general Bachelor of Arts at any of the recommended institutions in South Africa, or you can complete an accredited short course or postgraduate degree if you’d like to hone in on your advertising writing skills.
Working Hours
Regular working hours for work in advertising can be demanding, but generally Advertising Copywriters will work between 40 – 45 hours per week. If you freelance then the more you work, the more you’ll make!
Expected Salary
The average salary per year as an Advertising Copywriter, in South Africa, is around R277 757 with an hourly rate of about R122 per hour. This depends on your experience in the field and the type of position you are able to get. If you’re more experienced and senior, your pay will increase.
What to Expect
Here are a few things you can expect from a career as an Advertising Copywriter:
- Working in advertising can be a highly demanding role, with tight deadlines and the need to be sharp with words and awesome marketing strategy.
- Expect to write for multiple clients, portfolios and projects at once.
- A lot of advertising agencies work in teams of creative experts, expect to work well and merge your creative ideas with others.
- Expect to work under a senior copywriter, or if you are a senior, expect to have juniors working under you.
