Company: The Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (FEM)
Division: Head Office Support Services
Business Unit: Software Development Department
Industry: Financial Services, Insurance & IT
Location: Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Position Type: Permanent / Entry Level (0 to 2 Years Experience)
Posted Date: 15 September 2026
About FEM & The Junior QA Role
The Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (FEM) is a leading South African financial services organization. FEM is recruiting a Junior QA Tester to join their Software Development Department at the Head Office in Rosebank, Johannesburg.
Operating within an Agile and DevOps delivery environment, the successful candidate will support the delivery of reliable, high-quality software solutions. Working alongside developers, business analysts, and senior QA engineers, you will execute manual testing, perform defect tracking, prepare test data, and build automated testing capabilities while contributing to continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
Key Responsibilities & Daily Deliverables
As a Junior QA Tester, your core duties will span four primary software quality disciplines:
1. Manual Test Planning & Execution
- Test Case Development: Create, execute, and maintain test cases, test scripts, and regression test suites aligned with functional specifications.
- Requirements Validation: Review user stories and acceptance criteria to ensure testing aligns with business objectives.
2. Defect Management & Quality Support
- Defect Tracking: Identify, document, log, and track software defects and edge cases through to resolution.
- Data Preparation: Prepare and manage test data across development, integration, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environments.
3. Technical Validation & API Testing
- Data Validation: Execute basic SQL queries to validate database entries, backend records, and system integration points.
- API Exposure: Perform basic API testing and verify data exchanges across integrated software modules.
4. Agile & DevOps Collaboration
- Continuous Improvement: Participate in Agile/Scrum ceremonies, support CI/CD release processes, and build automated testing skills under senior supervision.
Candidate Profile & Minimum Entry Requirements
To qualify for consideration for this permanent entry-level role, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Educational Qualifications:
- Grade 12 / Matric (Essential).
- ISTQB Foundation Certification (or currently working towards certification) (Essential).
- Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in IT, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field (Highly Advantageous).
- Relevant software testing short courses, bootcamps, or graduate internship exposure.
- Experience Level:
- 0 to 2 years of experience in software testing.
- Exposure to academic testing projects, internships, graduate programs, or basic SQL/Agile environments is advantageous.
- Technical Knowledge & Skills:
- Foundational understanding of SDLC, STLC, Agile, and DevOps principles.
- Basic API testing knowledge and SQL query skills.
- Familiarity with bug tracking tools and manual testing methodologies.
- Core Competencies:
- Exceptional attention to detail and analytical problem-solving abilities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- High respect for data privacy and information security.
- Location: Based in or able to work on-site in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng.
What FEM Offers
- Permanent Employment: Career stability within a premier South African financial services institution.
- Technical Growth: Hands-on automation skills development, API testing exposure, and DevOps mentoring under senior QA leads.
- Modern Tech Stack: Work in a collaborative Agile and CI/CD delivery environment.
💡 Career Advice for QA Applicants
- Highlight ISTQB & SQL Status: State your ISTQB status (certified or in-progress) and SQL query capabilities on page 1 of your CV.
- Detail Testing Projects: Include any software testing projects, bug tracking tools used (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps), or academic QA assignments.
- Apply Urgently: Applications close today (25 September 2026)—submit your application directly via FEM’s portal.
Sample Junior QA Tester Interview Questions
Software Testing & Defect Logging
- Question (Defect Reporting): “What critical details would you include in a bug/defect report to ensure a developer can reproduce and fix the issue quickly?”
- Question (SQL Validation): “How do you use basic SQL queries to verify that data submitted via a front-end web form was accurately saved in the database?”
How to Apply
Submit your application directly through FEM’s official career portal:
- Company: The Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (FEM)
- Department: Software Development Department
- Position: Junior QA Tester
- Location: Rosebank, Johannesburg, Gauteng