I don't know a single actuary that's actually certified. You need the skills, and I suppose it might help that you can prove you have the skills, but in reality I don't know anyone that's done it. As far as SAS, we don't use it where I work, so maybe I'm biased, but there are so many different software packages being used at different insurers or other employers of actuaries that it seems a waste to learn a specific one before you actually need it.
If the recruiter feels SAS is prevalent enough to be worth zeroing in on, and that some sort of VBA/Excel certification will be a serious asset, they obviously have a better feel for the market than I do, so go for it.
As far as learning VBA, don't go to crazy with book learning. Find something that has the basics, and a lot of examples of tasks for you to write macros for. For me the number one way to learn with any programming environment is to actually write and test code.