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Sales Representative

Sales Representative CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Sales representatives sell a company's products to other businesses, not to shoppers. In South Africa most work for FMCG companies (makers of fast-moving consumer goods such as food, drinks and toiletries) and their distributors, selling to wholesalers, independent supermarkets, Spar stores, spaza shops and taverns, or in B2B (business-to-business) sales of things such as packaging, office supplies, building materials, agricultural products and medical consumables. A rep looks after a territory (an area with a list of customers), visits each customer on a call cycle (a fixed schedule of visits, such as every week or every two weeks), takes orders, negotiates promotions and shelf space, opens new accounts and is paid a basic salary plus commission on sales. A sales manager reading your CV checks your results against target first, then your territory and type of customer, and whether you have a code B licence and can travel.

The example below is for an FMCG sales representative in Bloemfontein who started as a merchandiser and then did van sales. Give your targets and results as rand values and percentages, the number of accounts you serviced and how many new accounts you opened, and name the CRM or sales app you report on, such as Salesforce or a company order-taking app. If you are moving from a merchandiser or retail sales job, lead with any time you took orders, dealt with store buyers or ran a route, because that is the step up from shelf work to selling.

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Sales Representative CV example

Tshepo Moloi

FMCG Sales Representative, 70-account territory, 108% of target, code B and own car

079 555 0126 · tshepo.moloi@example.co.za · Bloemfontein, Free State

Profile

Results-driven sales representative with four years in FMCG field sales and three years in van sales and merchandising in the Free State. Services 70 accounts across Mangaung and the southern Free State on a two-week call cycle, from cash-and-carry wholesalers to independent supermarkets and Spar stores. Achieved 108% of a R2.6 million monthly target in 2025 and opened 22 new accounts in two years. Reports every call on Salesforce. Code B licence and own car on a car allowance.

Work experience

Sales Representative

Highveld Foods (Pty) Ltd, Bloemfontein | Mar 2022 – Present

Service 70 accounts across Mangaung and the southern Free State on a two-week call cycle, averaging 12 calls a day
Achieved 108% of a R2.6 million monthly target over 2025, top rep in the region for two quarters
Opened 22 new accounts in Botshabelo, Thaba Nchu and Ladybrand, and got four new products listed in 35 stores
Negotiate month-end promotions and gondola-end displays with store owners and buyers
Capture calls, orders and competitor prices on Salesforce every day
Keep overdue debt below 5% of territory sales by following up accounts with the credit department

Van Sales Representative

Mangaung Beverage Distributors (Pty) Ltd, Bloemfontein | Jan 2019 – Feb 2022

Ran a daily van sales route of about 60 taverns, spaza shops and small supermarkets
Sold and delivered from a 1-ton panel van and balanced about R40,000 in cash and card payments a day
Grew the route's monthly sales by about 20% in two years by adding 15 new outlets
Loaded and checked van stock every morning and reconciled returns and empties at the depot

Field Merchandiser

Smollan, Bloemfontein | Feb 2017 – Dec 2018

Serviced six supermarkets on a weekly call cycle, setting shelves to planogram and rotating stock
Reported out-of-stocks to the supplier's sales rep, who often asked me to suggest order quantities

Education

Higher Certificate in Marketing

University of South Africa (Unisa), 2021, NQF level 5

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Brebner High School, 2016, NQF level 4

Subjects: English Home Language, Sesotho First Additional Language, Business Studies (72%), Mathematical Literacy, Economics, Geography, Life Orientation

Skills

Territory and call cycle management
New account acquisition
Negotiating promotions and listings
Working to targets and commission
Salesforce CRM and order-taking apps
Van sales and cash reconciliation
Debt follow-up within credit terms
Excel sales reports
Code B licence and own car

Certificates

Professional Selling Skills (short course), Accredited training provider, 2022
Advanced Defensive Driving Course, MasterDrive, 2023

Achievements

Top sales representative in the Free State region, Q2 and Q4 2025
22 new accounts opened in two years

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Own transport:: Yes
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: Sesotho (Home language), English (Fluent), Afrikaans (Good), Setswana (Good)
Notice period:: One month
Availability:: Full-time, able to travel within the Free State and stay over when needed

References

Riana Coetzee

Regional Sales Manager, Highveld Foods (Pty) Ltd

051 555 0172

Kabelo Motsamai

Depot Sales Manager, Mangaung Beverage Distributors (Pty) Ltd

051 555 0138

Sales Representative CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Results-driven sales representative with four years in FMCG field sales and three years in van sales and merchandising in the Free State. Services 70 accounts across Mangaung and the southern Free State on a two-week call cycle, from cash-and-carry wholesalers to independent supermarkets and Spar stores. Achieved 108% of a R2.6 million monthly target in 2025 and opened 22 new accounts in two years. Reports every call on Salesforce. Code B licence and own car on a car allowance.

Skills to list on your Sales Representative CV

Managing a territory of 60 to 80 trade accounts on a weekly or two-weekly call cycle
Planning routes and keeping a daily call rate of 10 to 14 customer visits
Taking orders on a handheld or CRM app and checking stock levels in store before ordering
Working to monthly volume and rand targets with commission and quarterly incentives
Finding and opening new accounts, including credit applications and account set-up
Negotiating promotions, listings (getting a product stocked) and extra shelf or floor space with store owners and buyers
Presenting new products and trade deals to buyers and owners
Recording calls, orders and opportunities on Salesforce and keeping customer details up to date
Following up overdue accounts and collecting payments within the company's credit terms
Handling customer complaints about deliveries, short supplies and damaged stock
Briefing merchandisers on planograms and promotional displays in the territory
Reading sales reports in Excel to spot falling volumes and missing products per store
Keeping a SARS travel logbook for business kilometres on a car allowance

Duties written as strong bullet points

Managed a territory of 70 accounts across Mangaung and the southern Free State on a two-week call cycle, averaging 12 calls a day
Achieved 108% of a R2.6 million monthly sales target over 2025 and was the top rep in the region for two quarters
Opened 22 new accounts in two years, mostly independent supermarkets and wholesalers in Botshabelo, Thaba Nchu and Ladybrand
Negotiated month-end promotions and gondola-end displays with store owners, growing sales of the main product range by 15% in participating stores
Got four new products listed in 35 independent stores within three months of launch
Captured every call, order and competitor price check on Salesforce on the same day
Kept overdue debt in the territory below 5% of sales by following up accounts before delivery stops were needed
Ran a van sales route of about 60 taverns and spaza shops, selling and delivering from the van and balancing about R40,000 in cash and card payments a day
Briefed the agency merchandisers on each month's promotions and checked displays during calls

Tips for a stronger Sales Representative CV

Put your target and result side by side

Write each target with your result, such as "108% of a R2.6 million monthly target in 2025" or "top rep out of 11 in the region". Sales managers think in percentages of target, and a CV without them reads as if you have something to hide. Use figures your old manager would confirm.

Describe your territory and customers

Say where your territory was, how many accounts you had, how often you visited them and what kind of customers they were, such as wholesalers, independent supermarkets, Spar stores, taverns or hardware stores. A manager hiring for a similar territory will see that you can start without months of learning.

Show that you bring in new business

Many reps only service existing accounts. If you have opened new accounts, say how many and what they are worth each month, and mention new product listings you won. New business is what usually separates a strong rep from an order-taker.

Put your licence and car near the top

Most field sales adverts ask for a valid code B licence, and many expect your own reliable car paid for through a car allowance. Write both in your headline or summary, and add your CRM or order-taking app, because daily reporting is part of the job.

Questions people ask

What is a call cycle?

A call cycle is the fixed schedule a rep follows to visit every customer in the territory, such as big wholesalers every week and smaller stores every two or four weeks. Managers use it to make sure no customer is forgotten and to measure your call rate. Write the length of your cycle and how many calls you make a day on your CV.

How does a car allowance work for a sales rep?

Many reps use their own car and receive a monthly travel or car allowance. SARS usually taxes 80% of the allowance through PAYE, or 20% if your employer is satisfied that at least 80% of your driving is for business. To claim back the business part when you file your tax return, you must keep a logbook of every business trip, with the date, kilometres, where you went and why. Trips between home and the office count as private.

How is commission usually paid?

Most reps earn a basic salary plus commission or an incentive bonus based on how much of the target they reached, sometimes with extra money for new accounts or product listings. The structure differs a lot between companies, so ask about it in the interview. On your CV, show your results against target rather than how much commission you earned.

What is the difference between a sales rep and a merchandiser?

A merchandiser looks after the shelf in the store, packing, rotating and building displays. A sales rep sells to the store owner or buyer, takes the order, negotiates promotions and opens new accounts. Many reps start as merchandisers, so if you did, list it as a separate job and show the selling you did there.

Do I need a qualification to be a sales representative?

Matric and a code B licence are the usual minimum. A marketing or sales qualification helps, such as a Higher Certificate in Marketing (NQF 5) or the W&RSETA National Occupational Certificate in Sales Representative (NQF 4). For technical B2B sales, such as medical, agricultural or industrial products, companies often want a diploma or degree in that field.