Ranging from secretary roles to mechanical engineering, the Pnet Job Market Trends Report for December 2024 highlights the most in-demand jobs in South Africa. The report provides insights into the employment and recruitment trends in SA.
The top five job roles that are in-demand are: - Secretary (Admin, Office & Support) - Graphic / Print /Packaging Design (Design, Media & Arts)
- Team Leader &Supervisor (Business & Management) - IT Project Administration /Management (Information Technology - Mechanical Engineering (Architecture & Engineering)

Design, Media & Arts

The report also sheds light on the Design, Media & Arts sector, which is home to the second most in-demand job. In this snapshot, the market-related monthly salaries (CTC) for three of the top in-demand skills are revealed, including: - Web designer: R20,550 to R30,063
- Graphic designer: R16,892 to R23,055 - Copywriter R10,941 to R14, 260 Alongside salary insights, candidate demographics for this sector have also been clarified.
The findings indicate that 66.8% of candidates align with employment equity criteria, while 58.4% are based in Gauteng. Furthermore, 47.8% expressed a willingness to relocate, and nearly half (48.3%) boast tertiary qualifications. Interestingly, gender representation shows a significant presence of female candidates, accounting for 47% of the workforce. The report stated that the average stay in the Design, Media & Arts job sector is two years and eight months.

Hiring activity

In terms of recruitment activity in South Africa, there was a slight decline from October 2024 to November 2024.
The report indicates that the slowing down of recruiting activity continued in November 2024. From October to November 2024, month-on-month, local hiring activity declined by 10%. Year-on-year, hiring activity also lowered by 10%, compared to November 2023 while the trend from the two-year comparison revealed that recruitment activity has declined by 10%.