Overview
Totalsports, one of South Africa’s leading sports and lifestyle retail brands under The Foschini Group (TFG), is seeking a motivated and customer-focused Sales Associate for its Soshanguve Shopping Centre branch. This exciting opportunity allows individuals with a passion for retail, sports, and customer engagement to work within an energetic and innovative environment where teamwork, service excellence, and performance drive every success story.
As part of TFG’s diverse retail portfolio — which includes over 30 specialty lifestyle and apparel brands — Totalsports is known for its dedication to delivering exceptional customer experiences while making sports and fitness accessible to everyone. The brand prides itself on empowering individuals to live their best lives through fashion-forward, performance-driven products. This role offers the chance to grow within a world-class retail organization, develop essential sales skills, and be part of a company that values innovation, inclusion, and service excellence.
The Sales Associate at Totalsports Soshanguve will act as a brand ambassador, ensuring every customer interaction is positive, authentic, and memorable. The successful candidate will actively contribute to sales growth by promoting a wide range of sports and lifestyle products, achieving performance targets, and maintaining store presentation standards that reflect Totalsports’ commitment to style, performance, and professionalism. If you are passionate about people, love working in a vibrant retail setting, and thrive in a target-driven environment — this is your opportunity to shine and grow with one of South Africa’s most recognized retail names.
Minimum Requirements
- Education: Grade 12 (Matric) – Essential.
- Experience: 6 months to 1 year of retail or customer service experience (preferably in apparel, sportswear, or lifestyle retail).
- Availability: Willingness to work weekends, holidays, and extended trading hours.
- Skills: Proficiency in English (written and verbal), with additional local language skills considered an advantage.
Key Competencies and Skills
- Customer Service Excellence: Ability to build strong, lasting relationships through attentive and engaging service.
- Sales and Target Achievement: Proven ability to meet and exceed sales goals through effective communication and product knowledge.
- Communication Skills: Clear, friendly, and persuasive in interactions with customers and colleagues.
- Team Collaboration: Works effectively as part of a high-energy retail team.
- Multitasking Ability: Handles multiple customer requests and tasks in a fast-paced environment.
- Product Knowledge: In-depth understanding of apparel, footwear, and sports trends.
- Attention to Detail: Maintains visual merchandising standards and ensures store presentation excellence.
- Adaptability: Responds effectively to new challenges, promotions, and changes in store priorities.
Responsibilities
- Represent the Totalsports brand with professionalism, enthusiasm, and authenticity.
- Deliver exceptional customer service by identifying customer needs and recommending the most suitable products.
- Achieve individual and team sales targets while contributing to overall store performance.
- Stay updated on the latest sportswear, footwear, and fashion trends to provide informed recommendations.
- Ensure stock is replenished, organized, and visually presented according to brand guidelines.
- Handle customer queries, returns, and exchanges efficiently and courteously.
- Maintain the cleanliness and visual appeal of the store environment.
- Promote ongoing sales, discounts, and loyalty programs to enhance customer engagement.
- Participate in training sessions, performance reviews, and store meetings to support personal and professional development.
- Uphold TFG’s values of excellence, innovation, and accountability in all interactions.
Important Notes
Preference will be given to candidates from designated groups in accordance with the Employment Equity Act. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive feedback within two weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful. Totalsports and TFG are equal opportunity employers committed to diversity, empowerment, and transformation in South Africa’s retail sector.
🧾 ATS-Friendly CV Guide
In today’s digital job market, most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen CVs before human eyes ever see them. These systems are designed to scan documents for keywords, structure, and formatting that align with the job description. An ATS-friendly CV improves your chance of getting past automated filters and landing an interview. Whether you are applying for the Totalsports Sales Associate Job Soshanguve position at Totalsports – A Division of The Foschini Group (TFG) or another opportunity, your CV must speak both to machines and people. This guide walks you through proven strategies to optimize your CV from top to bottom, offering practical examples, formatting tips, and best practices to maximize your success.
1. ✅ CV Structure
- Header: Example — Thabo Khumalo | 0612 74 1234 | [email protected] | Randburg, South Africa.
- Professional Summary: Tailored to the role. E.g., “Motivated customer service agent with 3+ years’ experience in retail and a track record of increasing client satisfaction scores by 25%.”
- Key Skills: Include 6–10 bullet points. E.g., Point of Sale (POS) systems, Inventory control, Conflict resolution, Merchandising, SAP, Microsoft Excel.
- Work Experience: Reverse-chronological. Example:
- Retail Assistant | Bradlows | Jan 2022 – Present
- • Assisted 40+ daily customers with purchases and queries.
- • Maintained 98% shelf availability by overseeing stock rotation.
- Education: Highest level first. E.g., “Diploma in Business Management, UNISA, 2021.”
- Certifications: “Occupational Health and Safety, 2023 (SASSETA)”
- References: “Available upon request” unless stated otherwise in job ad.
2. 🖋️ Typography & Formatting
- Font Choice: Use clean fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica — ATS systems can misread decorative fonts.
- Font Size: Body text should be 10.5pt–12pt; Headings 14pt–16pt for readability and emphasis.
- Spacing & Margins: Use 1.15–1.5 line spacing. Keep margins at 0.75–1 inch. This ensures text isn’t cramped and is easy to scan.
- Avoid: Tables, columns, headers/footers, text boxes — most ATS software can't interpret them properly.
- File Format: Save your CV as a PDF or DOCX — PDF preserves formatting across devices, DOCX is often required by ATS platforms.
3. ✏️ Content Best Practices
- Mirror Job Language: If the ad says “inventory management,” use that term instead of synonyms like “stock control.”
- Quantify Achievements: Numbers give weight. E.g., “Managed R50,000 monthly inventory with < 2% loss.”
- Tailor for Each Job: Don't send the same CV to every employer. Highlight different skills depending on the job ad.
- Be Clear, Not Clever: Avoid vague buzzwords. Say what you did and how it helped your company.
- Proofread! ATS won't reject for spelling — but hiring managers will. Use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway.
4. 📷 Photo?
- Photos are discouraged unless required. ATS software can’t read them and they can add bias.
- If required (e.g., acting, modeling), choose a neutral background, natural lighting, and professional attire.
- Ensure file size is small if embedded. Avoid image-heavy CVs as they increase loading time.
5. 🔍 ATS Keyword Optimization Tips
Copy the exact job description and extract nouns and verbs that repeat. For example, for a Retail Assistant post: “customer service,” “cash handling,” “inventory,” “POS,” “stocktaking,” “sales target,” “merchandising,” and “teamwork.”
6. ✅ Dos and ❌ Don’ts of ATS CVs
- ✅ Use job-relevant keywords
- ✅ Keep formatting simple and consistent
- ✅ Quantify wherever possible
- ❌ Don’t include tables or graphics
- ❌ Don’t submit images or logos
- ❌ Don’t use colored or stylized fonts
7. 💾 File Naming & Saving Tips
- Name format: YourName_Totalsports Sales Associate Job Soshanguve_CV.pdf
- Save as PDF unless job ad specifies otherwise
- Avoid spaces in filenames: Use underscores instead
- Check file size — keep it under 2MB
8. 🧠 More about ATS
Your CV is the first impression recruiters and ATS software get of you. To pass the ATS filter, you must optimize your CV with clean formatting, appropriate keyword use, and targeted content. Focus on clearly structuring each section: headline, summary, skills, work experience, education, and certifications. Customize the content for every role by mirroring the terminology and phrasing used in the job advert. Quantify achievements wherever possible. Format with simplicity — avoid graphics and stick to standard fonts. Proofreading is non-negotiable: even small typos can disqualify you. Save and name your file properly to avoid compatibility issues. Remember, your CV must be easily readable by both algorithms and humans. By applying the principles in this guide, you will greatly improve your chances of being shortlisted for interviews and finding the right role for your skills.
Professional Summary Example
A motivated and dynamic retail professional with proven experience in customer service, sales performance, and merchandising within fast-paced retail environments. Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills, an eye for fashion trends, and a genuine passion for sports and active living. Skilled at identifying customer needs, recommending suitable products, and consistently exceeding sales targets through personalized service and persuasive communication. Adept at handling multiple responsibilities efficiently — including stock replenishment, visual merchandising, and customer engagement — while maintaining brand standards and promoting loyalty initiatives.
This candidate embodies professionalism, enthusiasm, and commitment to service excellence — core values that align perfectly with Totalsports and The Foschini Group’s dedication to providing exceptional customer experiences. Known for a customer-first mindset, a results-driven approach, and the ability to thrive under pressure, they are ideally positioned to contribute to a high-performance retail team. With a foundation built on teamwork, initiative, and continuous learning, this professional is ready to bring value, energy, and innovation to Totalsports’ growing success.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants can submit their detailed CV and supporting documents through the TFG Careers Portal before 8 November 2025. Applicants should ensure that their CVs are ATS-friendly by including keywords such as customer service, retail sales, merchandising, cashiering, teamwork, and stock control.
Strong candidates will demonstrate enthusiasm for sports, the ability to meet sales targets, and a proactive attitude toward customer service excellence.
