If you’re a school or university leaver, take a look at these jobs South Africa needs filled urgently.
Do so and you may secure a career for life, says the Minister for Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth.
Specifically, the minister is advocating for skills development to help solve South Africa’s high unemployment rate (33%).
And while one in every three adults sits without gainful employment, these are the jobs South Africa needs filled …
Jobs South Africa need filled
Beyond our high unemployment rate, Minister Meth believes South African suffers from severe skills mismatch, reports BusinessTech. Responding in a parliamentary Q&A, Meth says school leavers aren’t getting training in the jobs South Africa needs filled.
Likewise, the South African Social Security Agency was asked to go back to drawing board and rework its 2026 Basic Income Grant proposal. Government wants to see an adaptation of the current Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant with a clearer path towards skills development and employability.
Employment services database
As such, Minister Meth says her department is tracking skills shortages and the jobs South Africa needs filled through the Employment Services South Africa (ESSA) database. While many cannot find work, there are 350 occupations in seven categories that carry a high demand score. They are as follows:
1. Medical specialists
- Psychiatry, Neurology, Oncology, Paediatrics, Pathology (various branches)
- Dentistry: Prosthodontics, Oral medicine, Maxillofacial surgery
- Nursing: Perioperative, Emergency, Mental health, Nurse educators
- Veterinarians, Veterinary nurses
- Public health professionals
2. Information Technology (IT)
- ICT security specialists
- Network analysts & systems engineers
3. Engineering
- Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, and Mining engineers
- Mechatronics & Electronics technicians
- Naval architects & Aeronautical engineers
4. Financial Sector
- Actuaries
- Investment analysts & managers
- Corporate treasurers
- Internal & external auditors
- Market research analysts
- Supply chain & distribution managers
5. Education & Research
- University lecturers
- Senior phase and FET schoolteachers (Grades 8–12)
- Research and development managers
6. Environmental Planning
- Urban and regional planners
- Environmental scientists & managers
- Climate change scientists
- Oceanographers & hydrologists
7. Technical & Trade
- Millwrights
- Lift mechanics
- Metal machinists
- Instrumentation technicians
- Air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics
Are you trained in one of the above fields and still unemployed? Let us know by leaving a comment below..
