How to become an optometrist in South Africa

Access to the profession of optometry is straightforward. You have to study for four years and then register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Once you have done that, your choice lies in where you want to work—either in a retail practice, an independent practice, a hospital eye clinic or a public-sector clinic.

The guide includes information about the route, the distinction between the two professions carried out in an optical practice, and the way in which posts are graded in the case where the state is the employer.

What is the way of becoming an optometrist in South Africa?

You study for four years for a Bachelor of Optometry at a university in South Africa and then register with the HPCSA as an optometrist, since it is this registration that enables you to work.

The degree is provided by only a few universities, including the University of Johannesburg and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The University of KwaZulu-Natal states that its Bachelor of Optometry is a four-year programme at NQF level 7 and has a deadline of 30 September. It requires a National Senior Certificate with a degree pass together with English, life sciences, mathematics and physical sciences. Since the admission requirements and the deadlines vary from year to year, it is necessary to check the current page for each university to which you are applying.

Registration is no mere formality; according to section 17 of the Health Professions Act, no one may practise a health profession which is covered by the Act unless they are registered. The register is held by the Professional Board for Optometry and Dispensing Opticians at the HPCSA. When job advertisements for optometrists request proof of current registration—as the advertisement in Gauteng does—an employer has the right to verify it.

What is the difference between a dispensing optician and an optometrist?

An optometrist looks at the eyes and provides a correction for any issues they discover. A dispensing optician carries out the task of supplying spectacles according to a prescription written by an optometrist or a doctor. Although both of them are registered with the same board of the HPCSA, they carry out different types of work.

The rules establishing the two professions go back to 2007 and state that optometry consists of two main aspects. The first of these is examining the eyes in order to identify visual defects, thereby enabling the patient to see clearly, comfortably and effectively. The second aspect is correcting these defects by means of spectacles, lenses, frames and contact lenses, without having to carry out surgery. Within the limits approved by the board and the medicines regulator, optometry may also involve the use of prescribed medicines.

The regulations also define the duties of a dispensing optician as involving the provision of spectacles, frames and lenses to the public, this covering the taking of facial measurements and making the adjustments, as well as the repair or replacement of spectacles. It is also provided that a dispensing optician may supply spectacles on the prescription of an optometrist or a sufficiently qualified doctor.

The distinction is important when looking at job advertisements: if the position is listed as "optometrist" this means that a registered optometrist will carry out the eye examinations. On the other hand, "dispensing optician", "optical dispenser" or "optical assistant" generally refers to the part of the practice which deals with frames and lenses. You should read the duties since practices tend to use these titles loosely and you need to check which register the advertisement is asking for.

How are the posts of optometrists assessed in the public sector?

After registering with the HPCSA, optometrists are rated according to the number of years' experience by the various provincial health departments. An advert from the Gauteng Department of Health, which was posted on 17 August 2026, listed the grades for South African-qualified optometrists in the following way:

• With Grade 1, no experience is required once you have registered with the HPCSA.
• For Grade 2, one must have at least ten years' experience in the relevant field after being registered.
• For Grade 3, one must have at least twenty years' worth of relevant experience following registration.

The advertisement established different requirements for foreign-qualified optometrists, namely that they must stay at each grade for an extra year. It also mentioned that South African-qualified employees had carried out community service, without specifying what this entails. So, if you are about to graduate, you should find out from your university or the HPCSA how community service applies to your year.

The public-sector advertisements also told you where the work was located; the posts were at primary health care clinics and asked for a willingness to travel within the district.

Reading an optometry advert

There are a few terms that are worth knowing when it comes to private practice adverts. A locum looks after a practice for a specific length of time, for example for a few days' leave or for a few months. A store optometrist works in a branch of a retail chain and maintains the shop's hours, these possibly including weekends. The position of practice owner or partner usually involves a share in the business as well as the responsibility of running it.

Before you apply, check four things in the advert:

1. Which register it is asking for, that is, the optometrist's or the dispensing optician's.
2. The location of the work and its movement between branches and clinics.
3. Whether the pay is a salary, a commission on sales, or both.
4. If you need to carry out more than just routine refraction, what kind of equipment does the practice have?

Once you are ready, the page for optometry jobs shows all the advertisements for optometry and optical jobs on IdealJobs, with the newest ones listed first.

Optometry jobs on IdealJobs→