The term biokineticist must be quite interesting when you hear it for the first time. However, many of us don't even know what it is not to talk to know how much they earn.
Are you in South Africa and want to be a biokineticist? If your answer to this question is yes, then you are reading the right article. In this post, we will tell you about how much a biokineticist earns in South Africa. We will also tell you what it entails to become one.
Table of Contents
Biokinetics Salary in South Africa
What is biokinetics?
Before we press into who biokineticists are and how much they earn in South Africa, let's define biokinetics. These days, it is very common to see people live a sedentary lifestyle. This is means that they engage in very little physical activity, especially those working white-collar jobs.
This inactivity exposes use to so many health risks which can lead to the deterioration of the human body. Many of the untimely deaths experienced these days are a result of this deterioration caused by inactivity. Asides premature death, many people suffer from diseases and poor quality of life.
Biokinetics is an amalgamation of two Greek words which are “Bios” and “kinesis.” The first word, bios, means life, while the second, kinesis, refers to movement. Putting both together through logical reasoning, biokinetics is the use of physical activities to maintain the quality of life.
This is one of the professions registered and recognized by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. It is the use of sciences to develop physical activities that will help prevent diseases or provide rehabilitation to the body. A person who practices biokinetics is a biokineticist.
Who is a biokineticist?
Biokineticists are specialists in physical exercise that help to improve the physical condition of individuals as well as their quality of life. They do this by physical assessment, prescribing, and administering healthy exercise routines.
Biokineticists have been added to the list of members of an allied medical team. They mostly specialize in preventative medicine as well as the final stage of rehabilitation of the human body. With this, they can help to improve the quality of life using movement.
Services provided by biokineticists
The services provided by biokineticists are both proactive and reactive in nature. Thus, they are able to prevent chronic diseases and also help in the treatment of these diseases. They also help in avoiding and treating neurological disorders, metabolic abnormalities, hypokinetic conditions, orthopedic complications, and heart conditions.
Added to this, these professionals help individuals through the final stages of their rehabilitation towards perfect physical conditions. Their services are nonnegotiable in sports and other activities that require lots of physicalities.
Here are a few of the services that you can expect from a biokineticist:
- Checking of medical history.
- Measuring heart rate, blood pressure, and checking for any impending medical conditions.
- Assessing body composition, hip to waist ratio, etc. which will help to determine the risks for coronary heart disease.
- Measuring aerobic work capacity.
- Measuring muscular strength, power, and endurance.
- Core stability assessment to check a person's ability to protect and stabilize the spine.
- Creating an individualized scientifically sound exercise program.
- Personal training for individuals, etc.
Education and Qualification for a biokineticist in South Africa
Every occupation has a specific set of educational requirements and qualifications prescribed for one to be drafted. Biokinetics is no different as there are specific training requirements. To become a biokineticist, you need to study at the university for between four and five years depending on the institution.
Currently, there are 12 universities where you can study biokinetics. These universities are divided into two groups, those that run four-year programs and those offering five-year programs in biokinetics.
Universities offering five-year biokinetics program include:
- University of Cape Town (www.essm.uct.ac.za)
- Wits University (www.wits.ac.za)
- TUT (www.tut.ac.za)
- Nelson Mandela University (www.mandela.ac.za)
- University of Stellenbosch
- North-West University (www.health-sciences.nwu.ac.za)
- University of KwaZulu Natal (sportsciences.ukzn.ac.za)
- University of Zululand (www.unizulu.ac.za)
- University of Pretoria (50prospectus.com)
Universities offering four-year biokinetics program include:
- University of Johannesburg (www.uj.ac.za)
- University of the Free State (www.ufs.ac.za)
- Nelson Mandela University (www.mandela.ac.za)
- North-West University (health-sciences.nwu.ac.za)
For the four-year courses, some of your courses include:
- Clinical exercise physiology
- Practice management
- Wellness
- Orthopedic rehabilitation
- Ergonomics
- Research project
Each university has its own specific criteria for enrollment into the biokinetics program. To be honest, the process of selection is usually rigorous based on a specific set of guidelines and requirements.
You can also apply for postgraduate programs in biokinetics in South Africa. This will result in getting any of these two certificates:
- BA Hons Biokinetics
- BSc Hons Biokinetics
After getting your certificates in South Africa, it is imperative that you enroll as an intern in a registered or accredited facility. This internship should run for a year after which you are allowed to register with the Interim National Medical and Dental Council of South Africa.
Opportunities in biokinetics
After a period of training in biokinetics and bagging your certificates, it is time to get a job. Many people get worried because they have no idea where a biokineticist can work in South Africa. If you are in these shoes, then you should not fret because there are a couple of places you can work.
Check out a list of places where you can work as a biokineticist in South Africa below:
- Corporate sector
- Elite and professional sport
- Industry
- Military bases
- Police services
- Military hospitals
- Correctional facilities
- Fire services
- Local authorities
- Private practices
How much do biokineticists earn in South Africa?
This is probably the question on your mind, else you wouldn't be reading this post in the first place. Based on research and surveys from several biokineticists in South Africa, the average annual salary of biokineticists in South Africa is R295,554. This may increase with time-based on experience and qualification.
Conclusion
In this post, we have shown you who biokineticists are and how much they earn in South Africa. Do you have any questions? Ask them in the comments section below.
