Personal Assistant to
Somewhere
🇿🇦 Hirezar Summary for South African Applicants
This fully remote full time position at Somewhere is open to applicants from South Africa. The estimated monthly salary is R18,500 – R22,200 ZAR. This role is suited for mid-level professionals. As a remote position, you can work from anywhere in South Africa — whether you're based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, or a smaller town.
Job Description
Personal Assistant to Chef (Remote / Offshore)
Client / Industry:Culinary / Hospitality & Media
Target Market:Offshore (Philippines / LATAM / South Africa)
Position Type:Full-Time (40 hours/week)
Compensation:Salary:$1,200 USD / month
Location: Remote (South Africa and Philippines)
Schedule: Full-Time (40 hours/week, exact working hours to align with client operations)
About the Company
The client is a high-profile Chef operating across private dining, catering events, media commitments, and pop-up culinary experiences. The environment is fast-paced, highly detail-oriented, and demands seamless execution behind the scenes to support both business growth and personal operational efficiency.
Role Overview
The Personal Assistant will serve as the primary administrative engine for the Chef, taking full ownership of inbox management, complex scheduling, event logistics, and vendor coordination. This role is designed to create complete operational leverage—removing daily friction, tracking moving pieces across various culinary projects, and allowing the Chef to stay focused on execution and high-level engagements.
Key Responsibilities
* Inbox & Email Management:Filter, prioritize, and respond to incoming inquiries from clients, venues, sponsors, and vendors while maintaining an organized inbox.
Inbox & Email Management:Filter, prioritize, and respond to incoming inquiries from clients, venues, sponsors, and vendors while maintaining an organized inbox.
* Event & Dinner Coordination:Plan, organize, and track end-to-end logistics for private dinners, catering events, pop-up appearances, culinary demonstrations, and media commitments.
Event & Dinner Coordination:Plan, organize, and track end-to-end logistics for private dinners, catering events, pop-up appearances, culinary demonstrations, and media commitments.
* Calendar & Schedule Execution:Manage complex calendars, schedule meetings, coordinate venue site visits, and handle time-zone adjustments.
Calendar & Schedule Execution:Manage complex calendars, schedule meetings, coordinate venue site visits, and handle time-zone adjustments.
* Vendor & Stakeholder Liaison:Act as the central point of contact for ingredient suppliers, kitchen staff, publicists, and event planners to ensure clear communication.
Vendor & Stakeholder Liaison:Act as the central point of contact for ingredient suppliers, kitchen staff, publicists, and event planners to ensure clear communication.
* Travel Logistics & Itineraries:Book flights, accommodations, and local transport, building comprehensive itineraries for culinary tours, guest chef appearances, and personal travel.
Travel Logistics & Itineraries:Book flights, accommodations, and local transport, building comprehensive itineraries for culinary tours, guest chef appearances, and personal travel.
* Administrative & Project Support:Manage expense tracking, draft client proposals and menus, perform market research, and maintain task boards in Asana/Trello.
Administrative & Project Support:Manage expense tracking, draft client proposals and menus, perform market research, and maintain task boards in Asana/Trello.
Hard Skills
* Proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
* Hands-on experience with project management tools (Asana, Trello, Notion) and communication platforms (Slack, WhatsApp Business).
Hands-on experience with project management tools (Asana, Trello, Notion) and communication platforms (Slack, WhatsApp Business).
* Basic financial and administrative execution (expense tracking, proposal drafting, menu formatting).
Basic financial and administrative execution (expense tracking, proposal drafting, menu formatting).
* Travel management and detailed itinerary building.
Travel management and detailed itinerary building.
Soft Skills
* Exceptional written and verbal English communication.
Exceptional written and verbal English communication.
* High agency, discretion, and proactive problem-solving.
High agency, discretion, and proactive problem-solving.
* Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities without losing details.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities without losing details.
* Adaptability to handle last-minute schedule or event changes smoothly.
Adaptability to handle last-minute schedule or event changes smoothly.
About the Candidate
The ideal candidate is a proactive, highly organized Virtual Assistant or Executive Assistant who thrives in high-touch, fast-moving environments. Prior experience supporting individuals in hospitality, culinary, or event planning is a strong bonus, but the core requirement is an operational self-starter who takes ownership of tasks through to completion without needing constant oversight.
Why This Role Matters
In a fast-paced culinary operations structure, administrative breakdowns directly impact events, vendor relationships, and brand
Tips for South African Applicants
Timezone Advantage
South Africa (SAST, UTC+2) overlaps well with European business hours and has a few hours of overlap with US East Coast. Mention your timezone flexibility in your application.
Salary in Context
At R18,500/month, this role is on par with the average South African remote salary. The USD equivalent ($1,000/mo) benefits from the favourable exchange rate.
Application Tips
Tailor your CV to international standards — use a clean format, highlight remote work experience, and include your English proficiency. Many SA applicants succeed by emphasising their strong work ethic and cultural adaptability.
Load Shedding Preparedness
If you're applying for a remote role, having a backup power solution (UPS, inverter, or generator) and mobile data as a backup internet connection shows employers you're prepared for South Africa's infrastructure challenges.
About Somewhere
Somewhere is a company in the Recruitment & Staffing industry that hires remote workers from South Africa. They currently have 828 open positions on Hirezar. View all Somewhere jobs →