Preparing for sector-specific case study interviews in South Africa requires a mix of structured problem solving, sector knowledge, and local regulatory awareness. Below are practical, examplar case prompts, step-by-step frameworks, scoring rubrics and targeted tips for Finance, IT and Healthcare interviews — tailored for the South African market.
How to approach any case study interview (frameworks that work)
Start with a clear, repeatable approach you can apply across sectors:
- Clarify the objective and constraints (who, what, when, why).
- Structure the problem (issue tree / MECE).
- Prioritise hypotheses (80/20) and identify data needed.
- Run quantitative checks and sensitivity analysis.
- Present practical recommendations with risks and next steps.
- Use STAR for behavioural elements; use clear charts for numbers.
Useful mental models: MECE, decision trees, break-even analysis, cost-benefit analysis, ABCDE (clinical). In SA interviews, always reflect on local constraints (exchange rates, regulatory bodies such as SAICA, HPCSA, SACE, B-BBEE implications, infrastructure limits).
Finance models — sample case, approach and outputs
Sample case prompt
"You are a finance analyst for a medium-sized South African retailer expanding into neighbouring SADC markets. Build a 3-year financial model to evaluate profitability and cash needs. Highlight risks and recommend the preferred rollout strategy."
Step-by-step approach
- Scoping: Define time horizon, currencies, tax assumptions and B-BBEE impact. Clarify growth assumptions per market.
- Structure: Revenue drivers (stores, online), cost drivers (COGS, leases, logistics), capex and working capital cycles.
- Model build: Create drivers, assumptions tab, P&L, cash flow and balance sheet; run scenario analysis (base/best/worst).
- Valuation & metrics: EBITDA margin, free cash flow, NPV (use appropriate SA discount rate), payback period, ROIC.
- Recommendation: Phased rollout vs aggressive expansion with mitigation plan (FX hedging, local partnerships).
Key metrics & deliverables
- Cash runway and funding requirement
- Sensitivity table for margin and growth
- Two-slide executive summary for non-technical stakeholders
| Model Type | Best for | Key SA considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Forecasting (driver-based) | Operational planning | Rand volatility, seasonality (retail peaks) |
| DCF Valuation | Investment decisions | Local tax, sovereign risk premium |
| Scenario/Sensitivity | Risk assessment | FX, inflation, supply chain disruptions |
For deeper domain and technical question practice, see Interview Preparation South Africa: Finance Sector Interview Guide (SAICA, technical questions and case studies). Also align talking points with professional bodies in Translating Professional Body Memberships (SAICA, HPCSA, SACE) into Interview Talking Points.
IT systems — sample case, architecture and assessment
Sample case prompt
"A South African fintech wants to migrate its on-prem payment platform to the cloud while maintaining 24/7 availability and local data residency compliance. Design the target architecture, migration plan and testing strategy."
Approach
- Requirements: Non-functional (uptime, latency), functional (payment processing volumes), compliance (POPIA data residency), budget.
- Architecture: Microservices, API gateway, database strategy (replication), queuing (Kafka), disaster recovery across regions, identity and access (MFA).
- Migration plan: Lift-and-shift vs re-architect, pilot in sandbox, canary deploys.
- Testing: Load testing, resilience tests, security testing (pen-tests) and regression suites.
- Deliverables: Architecture diagram, migration timeline, rollback plan, runbook.
What interviewers assess
- Clarity on trade-offs (cost vs reliability)
- Knowledge of SA-specific regulations (POPIA)
- Security and data residency solutions
- Evidence of certifications or prior projects
| Competency | Interview evidence |
|---|---|
| System design | Clear diagrams, component choice |
| Security & compliance | POPIA, encryption-at-rest, audit logs |
| DevOps | CI/CD, monitoring, runbooks |
| Communication | Non-technical executive summary |
Practice technical assessments and coding challenges for SA roles at IT Interview Prep for South Africa: Technical Assessments, Certifications and Coding Challenge Tips.
Clinical scenarios — sample cases and practitioner approach
Sample case prompt
"A 55-year-old patient presents to a busy district hospital with fever, hypotension and confusion. Walk through assessment, immediate management and disposition in a resource-limited South African public facility."
Clinical approach
- Immediate: ABCDE, establish airway, oxygen, IV access, stat bloods (CBC, lactate), start sepsis bundle (broad-spectrum antibiotics, fluids).
- Differential & investigations: Meningitis vs severe sepsis vs metabolic cause — LP, blood cultures, glucose, urinalysis, CXR.
- Disposition: Stabilise and transfer to high-care/ICU as needed; document and engage referral pathway.
- Contextualise: Consider HIV/TB co-infection prevalence, limited ICU beds, ethical resource allocation.
Interview focus
- Clinical reasoning and prioritisation
- Knowledge of local protocols and HPCSA standards
- Communication with relatives and handover quality
For tips on showcasing HPCSA registration and clinical competence in interviews, read Healthcare Interviews in South Africa: How to Showcase HPCSA-Registered Qualifications and Clinical Competence. Also translate credentials effectively using Translating Professional Body Memberships (SAICA, HPCSA, SACE) into Interview Talking Points.
Scoring rubric — what interviewers are looking for
| Skill area | What good looks like | How to demonstrate |
|---|---|---|
| Problem structuring | Logical, MECE breakdown | Issue trees, prioritisation |
| Quantitative ability | Correct, well-reasoned calculations | Quick sanity checks, sensitivity |
| Domain expertise | Local-regulatory awareness | Reference SAICA, POPIA, HPCSA where relevant |
| Communication | Clear summary & recommendation | 2-slide executive brief |
| Practicality & ethics | Realistic, actionable steps | Resource-aware, staged plans |
Sector-specific tips for South African interviews
- Mining: emphasise safety procedures, legal compliance and scarce skills demonstration — see Mining Industry Interview Guide: Safety, Regulations, and Demonstrating Scarce Skills in SA.
- Education: prepare lesson demos, classroom management examples and SACE-aligned evidence — see Education Sector Interview Prep: SACE Requirements, Lesson Demos and Classroom Management Examples.
- Scarce skills: package data science, engineering or artisan expertise into outcomes and ROI for employers — see How to Highlight Scarce Skills for South African Employers: From Data Science to Artisan Trades.
Final checklist & practice resources
- Prepare a 2-minute case summary and a one-page model/diagram.
- Run through at least 5 timed case simulations per sector.
- Compile evidence: certifications, portfolios, professional body memberships — see How to Prepare Industry Portfolios and Certifications for Sector Interviews in South Africa.
- Use targeted question banks: Sector-Specific Question Bank: Top Interview Questions for SA Finance, IT, Health, Mining and Education.
Practice deliberately: structure, quantify, localise. The strongest candidates pair technical accuracy with practical, South-Africa-aware recommendations — and can explain complex models to non-technical stakeholders.