How To Start Environmental Consulting Company In South Africa
What is Environmental Consultancy?
Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations.
How To Start Environmental Consulting Company In South Africa
Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree.
Earning a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree is your first step on your journey to becoming an environmental consultant. Both the degree and the profession have a science basis, which is why they go together. Choose a degree in environmental science, chemistry, biology, or geology.
Step 2: Work as an Intern at an Environmental Consulting Firm.
As you pursue your degree, or during summer breaks, try working as an intern at a private or government environmental consulting firm. During the internship, you will get first hand experience on what your profession entails by working on environmental projects.
You will help plan projects, do research, make presentations, and conduct laboratory testing on environmental samples. These skills – and the contacts you make – will prove valuable once you graduate. They make getting a job much easier.
Step 3: Work in a Related Field.
Upon graduation, apply for an environmental consulting job. Because most jobs are open to people with 2 to 5 years or work experience, you should apply to work as a technician or field consultant. These entry level jobs give you time to gather the necessary experience and work your way up. They involve environmental analysis, which involves gathering, analyzing and processing environmental data usually from soil and air samples.
Step 4: Take a GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Test.
Like in all fields, having a bachelor’s degree is not enough to get you up the corporate ladder. You might have to further your studies to increase your competitiveness. However, before you pursue the master’s degree, you have to take a GRE test. Since environmental consulting is a science-based career, make sure you get good grades on the science sections.
Step 5: Earn a Master’s Degree.
After passing the GRE, you are now free to pursue a Master of Science (MS) degree in environmental science. It lets you specialize in a specific area of environmental consulting such as hazardous waste, or land-use planning to name a few. An extra master’s program can become necessary depending on the business or industrial sector you intend to enter.
In such a case, you can study a master’s in communication, or public relations. Even better, you can do an online master’s in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) degree. This program, which is offered by Universities in South Africa among others, uses geospatial technologies to address major global challenges such as the environment. A master’s program will take you about 2 to 3 years to complete.
Step 6: Find Consulting Gigs.
Now that you have covered all your bases – you have a BS, MS, and work experience – it’s time to look for consultant jobs. If you’re seeking for government contracts, apply to an agency such as the Environmental Protection Agency. Here, you will help the state formulate and monitor environmental policies. But if you want to work in the private sector, there are many agencies with jobs available for you.
Conclusion
Environmental consultancy is a lucrative and fast growing field. As a result, many people are rushing to join this profession. Environmental policies will need to be implemented and people with the right expertise will be needed to be consulted to come to the best conclusions. So, if you were interested in starting your own consulting business, make sure that you apply the steps in this article and see if this field is truly for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs.)
How do I become an environmental consultant in South Africa?
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement in either Environmental Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Conservation Biology, Marine Science or a related field. However, there are some organisations that require an Honours Degree as a minimum qualification
Is environmental consulting a good career in South Africa?
Environmental consulting is a great way to explore many different sectors within the environmental field, pursue freelance opportunities, and gain a lot of transferable skills. ECs can often have more flexible hours than others, and depending on the type of work they are assigned to, may get to travel a lot.
How much does a environmental health practitioner earn in South Africa?
An entry level environmental health specialist (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of R334,977. On the other end, a senior level environmental health specialist (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of R572,963. Data powered by SalaryExpert’s Salary Assessor Platform.
How do I become an environmental assessment practitioner in South Africa?
Degree: A BSc degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or other related field, e.g. Zoology or Botany. Environmental assessment practitioners often work as independent consultants on their own, or in private consulting firms.
What can I do with a BA in environmental management?
Your associate’s or bachelor’s degree prepares you for a career as an Environmental Analyst or a Lab Technician. You’ll help businesses go green, conduct experiments to find out what’s contaminating a source of water, and write policies to control pollution.
Are environmental consultants in demand?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), environmental consultants’ employment will grow 11 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.
How much does an Eco consultant make?
The typical Environmental Consultant salary is £31,418. Salaries can range from £22,785 – £46,776. When factoring in additional pay and benefits, Environmental Consultant in United Kingdom can expect their total pay value to be on average £32,499
What qualifications do you need to be an environmental consultant in South Africa?
You need a good degree (SCQF Levels 9-11) in environmental science or a related subject such as geology, geography, chemistry, ecology or agriculture. Entry requirements are 4-5 Highers including relevant science subjects. You may need passes in Biology and Chemistry.
Do you need a Masters to become an environmental consultant?
You’ll usually need a degree in environmental science, environmental studies or a related subject like: biology. chemistry.
Is it hard to get an environmental consulting job?
Employers are often reluctant to hire someone who has no experience, making it all the more difficult to get the experience you need to land your dream job. Fortunately, there are many ways to gain relevant experience that will help you become an environmental consultant.
Do environmental consultants work outside?
Entry-level consultants do most of the fieldwork. Your fieldwork ratio depends on the season, location, and background. Working in the field gives you a chance to bring physicality and fitness to your work. And when you spend time outside, you can bank vacation time or receive overtime pay.