Accounts Admin Assistant

Trade Ocean South Africa; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Trade Ocean South Africa is seeking an Accounts Admin Assistant in the Ships Agency Finance team based in Cape Town. You will own customer invoicing, credit notes, and end-to-end Cash to Master transactions, with a focus on accuracy and timely/month-end processing.

The role requires 1–3 years in invoicing or finance admin, a relevant accounting qualification (NQF Level 5+), and strong Excel/Office skills. On-site work and maritime exposure are advantageous.

Qualifications

• NQF Level 5 Higher Certificate or Diploma in Accountancy (non-negotiable).
• 1–3 years in invoicing or finance administration (non-negotiable).
• Understanding of double-entry accounting with GL or WIP reconciliations (non-negotiable).
• Hands-on processing of customer invoices and credit notes (non-negotiable).
• Working knowledge of Excel and MS Office (Outlook/Word) (non-negotiable).
• Experience with Xero, Sage, SAP, NetSuite, Odoo or Zoho (non-negotiable).
• On site in Cape Town and meeting month-end deadlines (non-negotiable).
• Maritime industry exposure would count in your favour.

Responsibilities

• Raise accurate customer invoices within 15 working days of vessel call.
• Reconcile project and WIP reports monthly with no unexplained ageing.
• Process debtors and nominal journals in line with procedures.
• Collaborate with Operations to ensure timely invoicing for open projects.
• Obtain supplier invoices so they are ready before disbursement closes.
• Arrange Cash to Master transactions with full documentation.
• Maintain Cash to Master register within 24 hours of each transaction.
• Dispatch client invoices with supporting docs within one day of raising.
• Keep filing audit-ready with no documentation exceptions.
• Submit month-end inputs by close deadline and address audit findings.
• Escalate risks to Team Leader within 24 hours.
• Acknowledge and resolve client/supplier queries promptly; provide backup support during peak.

Skills

Attention to detail

Reconciliation mindset

Pro-active follow-up

Deadline resilience

Procedural discipline

Service orientation

Trustworthy and discreet

Dependable team player

Education

NQF Level 5 Higher Certificate or Diploma in Accountancy

Tools

Xero

Sage

SAP

NetSuite

Odoo

Zoho

Job description

Trade Ocean is a Southern African maritime and logistics group established in 2007. We specialise in Customs Clearing, Freight Forwarding and Ships Agency services, operating across six branches from Cape Town to Walvis Bay, connecting clients to a global network. Our culture is built on a simple but powerful foundation: taking ownership, and we are always looking for people who do the same.

As Accounts Admin Assistant in the Ships Agency Finance team in Cape Town, you will look after the financial administration that sits behind every vessel call we handle. You will own customer invoicing and credit notes, project and work-in-progress reconciliations, debtors and nominal journals, and the end-to-end arrangement of Cash to Master transactions, including liaison with banks and security companies and upkeep of the Cash to Master register. Much of the job is chasing what you need before it becomes a problem, so that billing goes out accurately and on time. It is deadline-driven work, particularly around month-end, and it rewards someone who is precise, organised and comfortable resolving a client or supplier query.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• You hold an NQF Level 5 Higher Certificate or Diploma in Accountancy or another related field (non-negotiable).
• You have one to three years of experience in a similar invoicing or finance administration role (non-negotiable).
• You can demonstrate a working understanding of double-entry accounting principles, supported by practical experience in general ledger or WIP reconciliations (non-negotiable).
• You have hands-on experience processing customer invoices and credit notes (non-negotiable).
• You have a working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and the wider Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook and Word (non-negotiable).
• You have worked on a mainstream general accounting system for example Xero, Sage, SAP, NetSuite, Odoo or Zoho (non-negotiable).
• You are able to work on site in Cape Town and to meet month-end deadlines (non-negotiable).
• Prior exposure to the maritime industry would each count in your favour.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Raise accurate customer invoices within 15 working days of vessel call completion, keeping the invoice error and credit note rate below 3% of invoices raised.
• Reconcile project and WIP reports monthly, with no unexplained ageing and nil unreconciled project balances at month-end.
• Process debtors and nominal journals correctly and in line with Ships Agency procedures.
• Work with Operations to track open projects so that nothing goes unbilled and invoicing happens on time.
• Obtain and follow up on supplier invoices so that they are in hand before the disbursement account closes.
• Arrange and process Cash to Master transactions so that 100% are delivered to the vessel on the required date, fully documented and with no receipt or documentation exceptions.
• Maintain the Cash to Master register within 24 hours of each transaction and ensure nil unrecovered or unbilled items at month-end.
• Dispatch client invoices and supporting documentation complete and within one working day of raising.
• Keep filing and record keeping audit-ready, with no documentation exceptions raised in internal review or audit.
• Submit month-end reporting inputs by the published close deadline every month and clear audit and control requirements without repeat findings.
• Escalate risks and control exceptions to the Team Leader within 24 hours of identifying them.
• Acknowledge client and supplier queries within four working hours and resolve them within two working days, with no escalations left open beyond five working days.
• Provide backup support across departments during peak periods and staff absence so that service continues without disruption.

KEY ATTRIBUTES:

• Attention To Detail: You check your own work carefully, because an invoicing error here means a credit note, a delayed payment and an unhappy client.
• Reconciliation Mindset: You are comfortable with numbers and will not leave a WIP or project balance unexplained.
• Pro-Active Follow-Up: You chase Operations and suppliers for outstanding information rather than waiting to be told what is missing.
• Deadline Resilience: You keep month-end and Cash to Master deadlines under pressure without letting accuracy slip.
• Procedural Discipline: You follow established systems and financial controls consistently instead of working around them.
• Service Orientation: You handle client and supplier queries promptly and professionally, and you take ownership of a complaint rather than avoiding it.
• Trustworthy And Discreet: You handle cash-related documentation and controls with care and integrity, given the Cash to Master exposure in this role.
• Dependable Team Player: You communicate clearly with colleagues, banks and security companies, and you step in willingly when the team is stretched.