Secretary duties centre on documents, correspondence, meetings and records. The title has narrowed over time as much of the work has moved to administrators and personal assistants, but it remains widely used in South Africa, particularly in schools, legal practices, medical rooms, churches and committee structures. This page sets out what a secretary does day to day, how the role differs from related administrative positions, the skills employers expect, and how to phrase these duties on a CV or in a job description.
What Does a Secretary Do?
A secretary manages the correspondence, documentation and meeting administration of an organisation, department or office. The core of the role is producing and maintaining accurate written records: letters, reports, minutes, registers and files, along with the scheduling and coordination that surrounds them.
The work is more exacting than it is often given credit for. Minutes of a meeting become the official record of what was decided and by whom, and in committee, school governing body and legal contexts those records carry real weight. A secretary who captures a resolution imprecisely creates a problem that surfaces months later.
How This Differs From Related Roles
An office administrator runs the office function, including supplies, suppliers and facilities. A personal assistant supports a specific executive and takes responsibility for their time and priorities. A receptionist manages the front of house. A secretary is weighted toward documents, correspondence, minutes and records, with less emphasis on office management or executive support.
In practice these blur, and many secretary roles include reception or administration alongside. In formal committee and governance contexts the title has a more specific meaning, referring to the person responsible for convening meetings, keeping the record and maintaining statutory registers. For related roles see Admin and Office Duties.
Key Secretary Duties and Responsibilities
- Typing, formatting and proofreading letters, reports and documents.
- Managing incoming and outgoing correspondence and routing it appropriately.
- Drafting routine correspondence for approval and signature.
- Scheduling meetings and circulating notices and agendas.
- Attending meetings and taking accurate minutes.
- Producing, distributing and filing minutes and recording resolutions.
- Tracking action items arising from meetings and following them up.
- Maintaining filing systems for correspondence, documents and records.
- Maintaining registers, attendance records and statutory documents where required.
- Managing diaries and appointments for staff or committees.
- Answering telephone calls and dealing with enquiries.
- Receiving visitors where the role includes reception duties.
- Making travel and accommodation arrangements.
- Processing routine invoices, claims and petty cash within delegated limits.
- Maintaining confidentiality of documents, discussions and personal information.
- Preparing documentation packs for meetings, audits or inspections.
The accountability that defines the role is the accuracy and retrievability of the record. A secretary is trusted to produce documents that will be relied on later, and to keep them in a state where they can be found when needed.
Daily Tasks of a Secretary
- Opening and sorting incoming correspondence and routing it.
- Typing and formatting documents against the day’s requests.
- Responding to routine correspondence and enquiries.
- Scheduling appointments and updating diaries.
- Preparing agendas and papers for upcoming meetings.
- Attending meetings and taking minutes.
- Typing up and circulating minutes from previous meetings.
- Filing correspondence and documents as they are completed.
- Following up outstanding action items with the relevant people.
Secretary Skills and Competencies
- Matric, with a secretarial or office administration qualification commonly preferred.
- Fast, accurate typing and strong word processing capability.
- Excellent written English, including spelling, grammar and formatting.
- Minute-taking skill, particularly the ability to capture decisions precisely.
- Strong organisational and filing discipline.
- Computer literacy across word processing, spreadsheets and email.
- Clear verbal communication and a professional telephone manner.
- Discretion and confidentiality with sensitive documents and discussions.
- Attention to detail in documents and records.
- Ability to work to deadlines around meeting cycles.
- Familiarity with document management systems.
- Understanding of the Protection of Personal Information Act where personal records are handled.
Secretary Duties by Workplace or Industry
Secretarial duties vary with the seniority of the person supported and with the sector’s documentation requirements.
Executive and Corporate
Duties cover diary and travel management, meeting papers, minute taking, correspondence and acting as gatekeeper for a senior manager.
Legal Secretarial
Work adds dictation and typing of legal documents, court diary management, file opening and closing, and processing of correspondence to strict deadlines.
Medical Secretarial
Duties include appointment management, patient correspondence, medical typing and handling of confidential clinical information.
Committees and Governance
Where a secretary supports a committee or board, duties include issuing notices, circulating agendas and papers, recording minutes accurately and tracking action items.
Secretary Duties for a CV
A secretary CV is strengthened by showing the type of organisation, the volume and formality of the documentation handled, and any governance or statutory responsibility.
- Provided secretarial support to a department of twenty-five staff, managing all correspondence and documentation.
- Took and produced minutes for weekly management and monthly committee meetings.
- Tracked action items arising from meetings and followed them up to completion.
- Maintained correspondence and document filing systems, both physical and electronic.
- Drafted routine correspondence for review and signature by the department head.
- Maintained statutory registers and attendance records for a governing body.
- Prepared documentation packs for annual audits and inspections.
- Managed diaries and scheduled appointments across a team of five managers.
For CV-specific wording, see secretary duties for CV.
Related Job Roles and Responsibilities
These guides cover the roles and next steps most closely related to this one.
- Admin Office duties and responsibilities
- job duties
- duties for a CV
- job description duties and responsibilities
- Administrator duties and responsibilities
- Administrative Assistant duties and responsibilities
Frequently Asked Questions About Secretary Duties
What are the main secretary duties?
The main duties are typing and formatting documents, managing correspondence, scheduling meetings and circulating agendas, attending meetings and taking minutes, distributing and filing those minutes, tracking action items, maintaining filing systems and registers, and managing diaries and appointments.
What are examples of secretary duties?
Examples include drafting a letter for signature, circulating an agenda and papers ahead of a committee meeting, taking minutes and recording resolutions accurately, following up outstanding action items, maintaining an attendance register, and preparing a documentation pack for an audit.
How is a secretary different from an administrator or personal assistant?
A secretary is weighted toward documents, correspondence, minutes and records. An office administrator runs the office function including supplies and suppliers. A personal assistant supports a specific executive and manages their time and priorities. The roles overlap and many positions combine elements of each.
Is minute-taking a specialised skill?
Yes, particularly for formal meetings. Capturing decisions precisely, distinguishing discussion from resolution, and recording who is responsible for what requires practice and judgment. Where minutes serve a governance or statutory purpose, the standard is higher and employers should say so in the advert.
How should secretary duties be written in a job description or CV?
On a CV, name the organisation type, the volume and formality of documentation, and any governance or statutory records you maintained. In a job description, state the context and who the secretary supports, be specific about minute-taking requirements and meeting volume, and clarify whether reception or general administration forms part of the role.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026