Athena serves C-suite executives with premium EAs out of the Philippines. South Assistants serves growing teams — founders, operators, sales leaders — with senior talent across roles, in timezones that overlap your day.
Athena does one role brilliantly. We cover the whole back office — at a different price point.
Athena is a strong fit if you're a Fortune 500 exec who needs a top-tier EA and is less price-sensitive. For scaling teams that need EAs, sales development, marketing operations, customer support and research — at SME budgets — South Assistants is built for you.
EAs, SDRs, marketing ops, researchers, customer support, bookkeepers — all under one roster.
South Africa sits in GMT+2 — full overlap with EU and UK by default, and our assistants work US hours (East, Central or Pacific) on a shifted schedule when your team needs it.
From $2,500/mo all-in. Athena's EA program starts around $3,000 and scales up from there.
Feature by feature
The details, side-by-side. No asterisks.
When to choose which
We don't win every comparison. Here's when each option actually fits.
Switching
No overlap period needed. No migration headaches. Here's the path from “we're thinking about it” to your new hire in standup.
15-minute call to nail down scope, seniority, tools and the outcomes you want in the first 90 days.
We present 2–3 pre-vetted candidates from the top 3% of our talent pool. Interview the ones you like.
Your hire starts with SOPs, access, tools, and our AI notetaker ready. We run 30/60/90 check-ins.
Athena was excellent but priced us out when we wanted to hire a second person. South Assistants gave us the same caliber for 40% less, and the timezone actually worked for our London office.
FAQ
Yes. Both companies filter aggressively. Our top-3% bar tests real-world work product — not just interview polish. We publish assessment methodology on request.
GMT+2 means a South African assistant covers the full EU/UK day on a normal schedule, and runs any US shift (Eastern, Central or Pacific) on a shifted schedule when needed. Philippines (GMT+8) is strong for US-only teams willing to work very early shifts.
No. Month-to-month with a 14-day notice. We keep you because the work is good, not because you're locked in.
Our 30-day satisfaction guarantee has you covered. If the fit is wrong in the first 30 days, you won't be charged and we'll share a new shortlist within 48 hours. After that, replacements are still complimentary if a match we placed underperforms.
You do. They work directly with your team in Slack, Gmail, and your tools. We handle payroll, HR, equipment, and performance support in the background.
Other comparisons
Book a 20-minute intake call. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit — and if not, where to go instead.
