“Somerset West Mall is looking for a huggable, rosy-cheeked candidate to fill Santa’s (large) shoes during the holiday season.”
It’s hard to get Santa on the phone this time of year. This is obviously the big guy’s busy season.
It’s also the busy season for those who don the red outfit and shaggy white beard and head out to malls across the country to delight the thousands of children eager to give Mr. Claus their wish lists in person.
But even though you might not be able to get hold of him on the phone, you can find pretty much anything online… including Santa Claus himself!
Gumtree, the country’s biggest online classifieds site, already has ads listed for six Santa positions this December and Gumtree SA GM-Director Claire Cobbledick says there’ll probably be plenty more before the festive season is out.
“Most of the Santas work in shopping malls but there are also requests from Christmas markets, charities, hospitals, private parties and even corporate functions.
No experience is usually required for the job nor do you need your own Santa suit because that will be supplied. The standard Santa Claus job description on Gumtree includes “sober habits, good communications skills and a passion for role-playing.” One ad calls on applicants to “suit up and spread the magic.”
Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man—sometimes with spectacles—wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, a red hat with white fur and black leather belt and boots and who carries a bag full of gifts for children.
Santas usually have to work long hours in a hot suit for two weeks straight, including holidays, and the payments are mostly in the R250-R500 a day range.