What We Learned After Reviewing 1,000+ SDR Candidates in South Africa

When we started reviewing SDR (Sales Development Representative) candidates in South Africa, we assumed the strongest performers would have traditional sales experience, perhaps in SaaS, tech, or B2B.

We were wrong.

After reviewing over 1,000 candidates and running SDR Bootcamps, we discovered that the best SDRs don’t come from where you’d expect.

Here’s what we learned.

The South African Sales Landscape Is Completely Different

In the UK and US, SDRs typically come from a tech sales ecosystem. In South Africa, that doesn’t really exist. SDRs aren’t a common role, and most salespeople come from retail, property, finance, or call centres.

At first glance, that might seem like a limitation.

But in reality, it creates an unexpected advantage: grit and resilience.

• Property salespeople often work entirely on commission, which means they’re naturally self-motivated hunters. They’re well-spoken because they deal with high-value clients.

• Retail candidates know how to handle rejection, engage with strangers, and think on their feet – traits that transfer surprisingly well to outbound prospecting.

• Finance and insurance backgrounds teach persistence, resilience, and structured selling in highly competitive environments

It’s not the same as SaaS sales, but those foundational skills are often stronger than what we see in candidates from more saturated SDR markets.

Some “Non-Sales” Backgrounds Outperformed Experienced Hires

One of the biggest surprises?

Fresh graduates and sports backgrounds sometimes outperformed “experienced” salespeople.

We found that:

• Graduates with team sport experience brought a strong team mentality, discipline, and healthy competitiveness.

• Top graduates with the right mindset were more adaptable than mid-career hires stuck in old ways of selling.

• Even candidates with only retail experience stood out.

The takeaway? Experience doesn’t always translate. In some cases, it’s better to hire raw potential and re-train than to unteach old habits.

Different Profiles Suit Different Clients

There isn’t a single “perfect SDR profile.”

A high-tech, consultative company often needs an SDR with strong analytical thinking and the ability to have intelligent, nuanced conversations. But that same profile may not excel in a high-volume, transactional environment, like a fitness or gym sales team. For those types of clients, we’ve seen more success with SDRs who are naturally charismatic, enthusiastic, and thrive on energy and fast-paced outreach.

This reinforced a key lesson:

The best SDR isn’t “one size fits all.” The right candidate depends on the sales motion, the market, and the company culture.

The Global Mindset Is the Missing Piece But It Can Be Taught

One of the biggest gaps we saw in South African candidates was the global mindset.

Because SDR isn’t a common local role, candidates didn’t always understand SaaS sales or international prospecting standards.

But here’s the good news: it’s a trainable skill.

Through our SDR Bootcamp, we teach:

• Modern prospecting techniques (LinkedIn, email sequencing, CRM best practice)

• Global buyer personas and cultural alignment for UK/US markets

• How to build pipeline confidently in an outbound role

With the right training, candidates from any sector can match, and sometimes outperform, UK/US SDR benchmarks.

Coaching future SDRs on global sales techniques during our intensive Bootcamp programme:

Advice for UK/US Companies Hiring SDRs in South Africa

If you’re considering hiring SDRs in South Africa, here’s what we’d tell you:

• Don’t overvalue experience. The right mindset and soft skills are more important.

• Invest in training. Bootcamps and ongoing coaching bridge the global skills gap.

• Have a clear commission structure. It keeps SDRs motivated and aligned long-term.

• Match the right candidate to the right sales motion. A “consultative” SDR may not thrive in a purely transactional role, and vice versa.

South Africa has a huge untapped SDR talent pool, but you can’t approach it the same way you’d hire in London or New York.

The best candidates don’t always have the perfect CV. They might come from property, retail, finance, or even sports, but with the right mindset and training, they can outperform traditional hires.

At Modern Day Talent, we specialise in building high-performing SDR teams for UK and US companies by sourcing top South African talent and equipping them with the skills to thrive in global sales environments.