South Assistants vs Direct Hire
Hiring in-house takes 4–6 months and $90k+ all-in. Get a senior, fully-vetted assistant in 14 days for a third of the cost — without the HR overhead.
You're paying for a job — not a search, a firm, and a training budget.
Hiring directly means months of sourcing, interviews, rejected offers, visa discussions, equipment orders, and onboarding. South Assistants compresses that into a 14-day match with a pre-vetted senior already trained on the tools and workflows you use.
14 days, not 4 months
From intake call to first Monday working — two weeks, guaranteed.
1/3 the all-in cost
One transparent monthly fee. No recruiter commission, no benefits stack, no laptop to ship.
We carry the HR risk
We employ them. You manage the work. Payroll, taxes, compliance, sick cover — all ours.
Feature by feature
How we compare
The details, side-by-side. No asterisks.
When to choose which
The honest picture
We don't win every comparison. Here's when each option actually fits.
Choose South Assistants if…
- You need senior support now, not next quarter
- You want predictable monthly cost with no HR surprises
- The role is ongoing but scope may flex in the first 6 months
- You don't have a dedicated hiring team
Stay with Direct Hire if…
- You require an on-site presence in a specific city
- The role needs local legal authority (e.g. signatory, licensed)
- You already have recruiting and HR in place
Switching
Switch in 14 days
No overlap period needed. No migration headaches. Here's the path from “we're thinking about it” to your new hire in standup.
- Day 1
1. Tell us the role
15-minute call to nail down scope, seniority, tools and the outcomes you want in the first 90 days.
- Days 4–10
2. Meet your shortlist
We present 2–3 pre-vetted candidates from the top 3% of our talent pool. Interview the ones you like.
- Day 14
3. Onboard with a playbook
Your hire starts with SOPs, access, tools, and our AI notetaker ready. We run 30/60/90 check-ins.
“We spent three months trying to hire an EA in New York. Gave up, booked a call with South Assistants on a Monday, and had Nomsa in our stand-ups two weeks later. She's better than the finalists we'd interviewed.”
FAQ
Questions we hear often
How can you be cheaper than direct hire?
We're not cheap — we're efficient. Strong cost of living in South Africa means a senior assistant earns great money on what's a fraction of a US salary. You pay a single monthly rate that covers salary, taxes, tools, and our support.
Do I sign a long-term contract?
No. Month-to-month with a 14-day notice. We keep you because the work is good, not because you're locked in.
What if it's not the right fit?
We replace your hire for free within the first 90 days — no questions, no prorating. After that, replacements are also complimentary if a match we placed underperforms.
Who manages the assistant day-to-day?
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.
Ready to leave Direct Hire behind?
Book a 20-minute intake call. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit — and if not, where to go instead.