Bricklayer's Assistant

Every wall and slab on this townhouse construction site in Phalaborwa needs labourers, and the crew needs one more. People who do well here are steady, honest and not scared to ask when something is unclear.

Home base is a townhouse construction site on the Phalaborwa side of Limpopo.

• Clear rubble and load it into skips
• Carry bricks, blocks and cement bags to where the bricklayers work
• Erect and strip shutters and simple scaffolding under supervision
• Pass tools and materials to the plumber or electrician as needed
• Clean tools, mixers and wheelbarrows at the end of each day
• Mix concrete and mortar by hand or with a small mixer
• Set up barriers, cones and signs around open trenches

• A clean record is preferred for some government sites
• Grade 8 or higher
• Physically strong and fit for outdoor work in all weather
• Able to follow instructions from a foreman or artisan
• Willing to start early, often at 06:30

• Previous site work you can show with a reference
• Registered on your ward or municipal job-seeker database

• Overtime on weekend pours and deadline days
• Paid weekly or fortnightly
• Learn from artisans with a chance to move up to assistant
• Boots, hard hat and overalls issued on site

• List past sites by name and what you did there, like "mixed concrete, laid kerbs". It proves you have done real site work.
• Government-funded projects often reserve jobs for people from the local ward. Bring proof of address and ask the site office about the local labour desk.