Our Story

At Smilers Selection, we put people first. Established in 1979, we have over 40 years experience in matching career seekers and employers. Each one of our high-calibre team of qualified consultants is dedicated to help you achieve your recruitment objectives. We develop strong personal relationships and give you the best advice based on a thorough understanding of the market in which you operate.

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If you are a job seeker

we will take time to get to know you, your requirements and your aspirations for the future, guiding you every step of the way.

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If you are an employer

we will take the time to understand your business and corporate culture to ensure that we recommend candidates with the right qualifications, experience and future potential. We are adept at making sure that candidates will fit the culture of your business.

Over the years, we have successfully adapted to the ever-changing needs of the South African employment market, and place both permanent and contract staff, primarily in the Western Cape, South Africa as well as nationally. We are BEE aware and are proud of our record of promoting internally. Our BEE rating, upgraded annually, supports this approach.

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Whats with the Cat?

Read more about our History and find out more about the Cat…

We specialise in placing people at all levels in:

Management
Finance
Office Support
Human Resources
Marketing and Sales
Customer Service
Technical
Logistics
Production

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Giving Back

We believe in sharing our success, see who we proudly support

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Our Memberships

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Accreditations and Compliance

Meet our Team

Lilian Wapnick (AIPSC)

Founding and Managing Member

Lilian has made Smilers what it is today. She continues to share her expertise and experience, consulting to diverse clients and placing people across the board.

More about Lilian

Lilian is a specialist recruiter in the manufacturing and office support fields. In 1979, Lilian bought the business having worked first as a PA and then as a Consultant. She oversaw the expansion of the business and, in 2001, a move from Parow to Rondebosch. Lilian still consults to clients that she has partnered with since 1979, ensuring consistent, personalised service due to her in depth knowledge of the client’s business and staffing profile. Lilian attends Callenetics classes to relax and enjoys live theatre, movies and reading.

Roslyn Schmidt (B.Compt., AIPSC )

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Since joining Smilers in 2000, Roslyn has been instrumental in developing the vision and mission of the company and has seen Smilers grow in terms of staffing, clients and turnover.

More about Roslyn

Roslyn’s areas of specialism comprise auditing and finance. Roslyn completed articles with a firm of auditors and then studied HR Management and Psychology. She initially worked as an Accountant, and then as HR Manager for a leading international Chartered Accounting firm for almost 10 years. Roslyn’s unique combination of Finance and HR skills enables her to recruit staff across the board in all fields. Her particular expertise in finance and specialized knowledge of the auditing firm environment allows her to source candidates from Creditors Clerks to Financial Directors. A member of the Cape Town Bird Club, Ros enjoys walking in nature reserves, bird watching and viewing animals in their natural habitats. When not out in nature, she is an avid supporter of the Proteas, Stormers and Springboks and enjoys cooking for family and friends.

Mary Myburgh (AIPSC)

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Mary joined Smilers in 1986 as Frontline PA. She developed her skills and was later promoted from office support to consulting.Today she heads our highly successful…

More about Mary

Contract Placements’ Division. Mary possesses extensive knowledge of a variety of roles ranging from operations, finance, office support to sales. Her passion for people has resulted in continued growth of the business. Mary is committed to excellence and regularly attends seminars and courses specifically designed for the recruitment industry. As a child, Mary wanted to be a pre-school teacher. She is pursuing this dream and recently graduated with her Diploma in Adult Basic Education & Training.

Our History

People often ask us how the Smilers name came about. We believe a good name should tell you something about the company it is associated with. Over 40 years ago when we first opened our doors, we chose the name Smilers to communicate our approach to placing people. Life is challenging and the process of job hunting and finding the right person can be an anxious one — we know a positive attitude really works.

Intrigued by the Cat?

The cat intrigues our clients too. Like the Smilers name, the cat has been there from the beginning. The ancient Egyptians revered cats for their protectiveness — not only of crops (by hunting rats and mice), but also for the way a cat looks after her kittens. Eventually, the cat was elevated into an important deity, associated with motherhood and was appealed to as a gentle protector. At Smilers we look after people and the eternal cat is the perfect symbol for our company.

The Beginning

From 1979 to May 2001, our offices were based in Parow and the graphic cat was our logo.

Moved from Parow to Rondebosch

2001 … We moved from Parow to Rondebosch. Bastet was born!

We celebrated 25 years

2004 … We celebrated 25 years of successfully bringing our clients and candidates silver service.

We celebrated our 30th year

2009 … Just as the pearl takes time to form and symbolizes prosperity and uniqueness, we celebrated our 30th year … and like the pearl we continue to harvest and nurture talent.

Soccer World Cup

2010 … Always proudly South African, Smilers and Bastet also celebrated the Soccer World Cup by assuring our clients that we are here to referee a penalty free recruitment process!

New Beginnings

2013 … New Year, New Beginnings. We moved to Stonefountain Terrace and Bastet has transformed to reflect our ability and willingness to embrace change.

Going Green in 2016!

We pride ourselves on keeping track of global workplace developments, in particular, the growing trend of business enabling its people to work remotely. Smilers has chosen to embrace this movement and so from January 2016, we are Going Green! Operating remotely from our home offices, will reduce our carbon footprint and increase our productivity, enabling us to be even more accessible, as we continue to provide our best professional service to you, our valued clients and candidates.

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Giving Back

We believe in sharing our success with the wider community and our clients. As part of our Corporate Social Investment program, we proudly support the following organizations:

Sisters Incorporated

Sisters Incorporated is a home for abused women and their children, single, pregnant teenagers and women considering placing their babies for adoption. Their mission is: “We are Women helping Women to help themselves”. Smilers donates to Sisters Incorporated on behalf of our clients and staff in lieu of our annual calendars and cards. We also assist the organisation on a pro bono basis to source suitable staff, and will be continuing our association with Sisters Incorporated on an ongoing basis. For more information see the Sisters Incorporated website www.sisters.org.za

St Luke’s Hospice

St Luke’s provides specialised end of life medical and nursing care, known as palliative care, to people with life-limiting illnesses. They do this through professional home and in-ward nursing support. They also provide physical, emotional, psychosocial and spiritual care and bereavement support throughout the greater Cape Town area.

See www.stlukes.co.za for more information

The National Sea Rescue Institute

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is run by 920 highly skilled unpaid volunteers who are on standby day and night throughout the year. Donations and sponsorships cover their annual running cost of R22.5m. The volunteers save a salary bill in excess of R230m per annum. They enjoy a good working relationship with other emergency services and believe that it is through team effort that lives are saved. We make a monthly donation to the organisation. For more information see the NSRI website. www.nsri.org.za

The SA Red Cross Society

The SA Red Cross Society works to prevent and alleviate human suffering and to foster human dignity in all communities by addressing the basic needs of the people in accordance with the principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. We make a monthly donation. For more information about the organization, see The SA Red Cross Society website www.redcross.org.za