Clerical duties are the routine administrative tasks that keep records, correspondence and paperwork in order. The phrase appears constantly in South African job adverts, usually attached to another role: “general clerical duties” tacked onto the end of a job description.
This guide sets out what clerical duties actually cover and how they vary by setting. It is part of the wider job duties guide, and sits alongside the admin and office duties cluster.
What Does Clerical Work Involve?
Clerical work is the recording, filing, capturing, checking and routing of information. It covers data capture, filing and retrieval, typing and correspondence, handling incoming and outgoing post, maintaining registers and providing basic information to people who ask for it.
The word “clerical” is often used dismissively, which is a mistake. Almost every operational failure in an office traces back to a clerical step: a record captured incorrectly, a document filed where nobody can find it, a form that was never routed for signature. The work is low-status and high-consequence.
Where a job advert says “general clerical duties” without listing them, ask what they mean. That phrase is frequently where a substantial and unmeasured workload hides.
Clerical duties cluster around four things: capture, filing, correspondence and routing. What differs between employers is the system used and the consequence of getting it wrong, which is far higher in regulated environments than in a general office.
Key Clerical Duties and Responsibilities
- Capturing data onto systems, spreadsheets and registers accurately.
- Filing documents and retrieving them on request.
- Typing letters, memos, reports and minutes.
- Receiving, sorting and distributing incoming post and email.
- Preparing and dispatching outgoing correspondence and documents.
- Photocopying, scanning and preparing document packs.
- Maintaining registers, logs and record indexes.
- Answering the telephone and directing queries appropriately.
- Checking documents for completeness before they are processed.
- Ordering and controlling stationery and office supplies.
- Assisting with basic reports, schedules and reconciliations.
- Handling documents and personal information confidentially and in line with POPIA.
Daily Tasks in Clerical Work
- Start of day: sort incoming post and email and check the day’s deadlines.
- Morning: data capture, document checking and routing items for approval.
- Midday: filing, retrieval requests, telephone queries and photocopying.
- Afternoon: typing correspondence, updating registers and preparing dispatch.
- End of day: file the day’s documents and note outstanding items.
Clerical roles have changed with digitisation rather than disappeared. The filing cabinet has become a document management system and the typing pool has become data capture, but the underlying duty is unchanged: making sure information is recorded correctly and can be found again.
Clerical Skills and Competencies
- Accuracy: capturing what the document says, not what you expect it to say.
- Filing logic: a system anyone else can retrieve from.
- Computer literacy: Word, Excel, Outlook and the organisation’s own systems.
- Written language: correspondence that is clear and correctly spelled.
- Organisation: keeping several routine streams moving without dropping any.
- Confidentiality: clerical staff see everything that passes through an office.
Clerical Duties by Workplace or Industry
Corporate Offices
Duties centre on system capture, document control, correspondence and supporting a department’s routine administration.
Government and Public Sector
Registry systems, file tracking, prescribed forms and records management requirements shape the work, with strict procedures for handling official documents.
Medical and Legal Practices
Confidentiality is heightened, and duties include patient or matter files, appointment scheduling, medical aid or account administration and secure record handling.
Schools and Institutions
Duties cover learner records, attendance, fee administration, correspondence with parents and departmental reporting.
Across all of these settings, clerical work is what makes records findable and reliable, which is the foundation everything else in an office depends on.
Clerical Duties for a CV
List what you processed and at what volume rather than writing “general clerical duties”. Use the duties for a CV guide for the method.
- Captured an average of 200 records a day with an error rate below 0.5%.
- Maintained a filing system of 4 000 active files with same-day retrieval.
- Processed incoming and outgoing correspondence for a department of 30.
- Reorganised the registry filing structure, cutting retrieval time by half.
Related Job Roles and Responsibilities
These guides cover the roles and next steps most closely related to this one.
- Clerk duties and responsibilities
- Administration Clerk duties and responsibilities
- Data Capturer duties and responsibilities
- Registry Clerk duties and responsibilities
- Admin and office duties
Clerical experience is also the most common entry point into office work, and it leads directly into administrator, data capturer, registry clerk and departmental clerk positions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clerical Duties
What are clerical duties?
Capturing data accurately, filing and retrieving documents, typing letters and reports, sorting and distributing post, preparing outgoing correspondence, photocopying and scanning, maintaining registers, answering the telephone, checking documents for completeness, controlling stationery and handling information confidentially.
What is the difference between clerical and administrative duties?
Clerical duties are the routine processing tasks: capture, filing, typing and post. Administrative duties are broader and include coordination, scheduling, reporting and supporting decisions. Most administrative roles include clerical work.
What qualifications do clerical duties require?
Matric is the usual requirement, sometimes with a computer literacy or office administration certificate. Public sector posts often specify a particular qualification level and typing or capture speed.
Should I accept a job that just says “general clerical duties”?
Ask for the list first. That phrase can mean an hour of filing a week or it can mean an entire second job, and the difference should be settled before you accept rather than after.
Clerical duties vary widely by employer. Ask for a written list of what the role actually covers before accepting a position.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026