These jobs are on the chopping block in South Africa

Changing economic conditions, market shifts, and advances in technology and AI mean that millions of jobs will disappear over the coming years, and some specific careers are on the chopping block.

In its 2025 Future of Jobs Report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) projected that approximately 92 million jobs will be completely obsolete in 2030. This represents 8% of the current workforce.

The WEF also projected that 170 million new jobs will be created by 2030, representing about 14% of total employment in 2025.

“Clerical and Secretarial Workers – including Cashiers and Ticket Clerks, and Administrative Assistants and Executive Secretaries – are expected to see the largest decline in absolute numbers,” the WEF explained.

“Similarly, businesses expect the fastest-declining roles to include Postal Service Clerks, Bank Tellers and Data Entry Clerks.”

According to McKinsey, jobs in predictable environments, such as operating machinery and preparing fast food, are most susceptible to automation.

Machines are also increasingly able to collect and process data better and faster than humans. This could displace large amounts of labour, McKinsey warned.

Fields such as mortgage origination, paralegal work, accounting, and back-office transaction processing are particularly at risk because of this fact.

Forbes compiled a list of 21 jobs that are likely to disappear to some degree over the next five years –

• Postal service clerks
• Bank tellers and related clerks
• Data entry clerks
• Retail cashiers and ticket clerks
• Administrative assistants and executive secretaries
• Printing and related trades workers
• Accounting, bookkeeping and payroll clerks
• Material-recording and stock-keeping clerks
• Transportation attendants and conductors
• Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
• Graphic designers
• Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
• Legal officials
• Legal secretaries
• Telemarketers
• Basic IT support roles
• Assembly line workers
• Machine operators
• Picking and handling warehouse workers
• Insurance underwriters
• Travel agents

The forum also noted that, on average, workers can expect two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets to be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period.

Future-proof jobs

While there are many jobs at risk of disappearing, other “future-proof” careers promise stability and growth in the coming years.

Pnet’s latest Job Market Trends Report explored 15 future-proof job roles with strong future prospects that are set to shape South Africa’s labour market. Many of these careers fall within the IT, business management, logistics and manufacturing sectors.

The first job is cybersecurity consultants, which has seen a 188% increase in hiring demand over the last three years.

“Cybersecurity Consultants are in high demand as organisations face increasingly frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks, alongside the critical need to protect sensitive data and infrastructure,” Pnet said.

“With digital transformation, cloud adoption, AI and the Internet of Things expanding rapidly, businesses across every sector are more exposed to cyber threats – driving a consistent need for specialist expertise.”

Digital transformation consultants, with an impressive 180% increase in hiring demand over the last three years, followed.

Pnet explained that these consultants lead strategic change by assessing current processes, technology frameworks, and market positioning.

They then use this information to shape strategies that leverage AI, cloud computing, data analytics and automation.

“Digital Transformation Consultants are increasingly vital as organisations across industries adopt digital technologies to stay competitive, innovate, and improve efficiency,” Pnet said.

Next, Pnet highlighted mechatronic engineers, who combine mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and control systems to design and maintain advanced automated and intelligent systems.

“Their interdisciplinary expertise is critical across fast-growing industries such as manufacturing, transport, healthcare, and aerospace,” it said.

“This makes them central to the future of technology, offering strong career security and the opportunity to work on innovations shaping tomorrow’s world.”

Automation managers had the next most significant increase in hiring demand. These professionals oversee the implementation and management of automated systems and processes.

They ensure technology delivers measurable business value while supporting long-term strategic objectives.

“As organisations adopt automation to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and enable innovation, the role of the automation manager has become increasingly critical,” Pnet said.

Supply chain specialists also ranked among Pnet’s top five future-proof careers. They manage procurement, inventory, logistics, supplier relationships, and demand planning.

“Demand for these roles continues to grow as e-commerce expands, global trade faces new challenges, and industries embrace digitalisation,” it said.

“With supply chains becoming more complex and critical across sectors, this role is firmly positioned as a future-proof career path.”

The table below shows Pnet’s list of “future-proof” jobs and their hiring demand over the last three years.

Job	Sector	Hiring demand over the last 3 years
Cybersecurity Consultant	IT	+188%
Digital Transformation Consultant	Business & Management	+180%
Mechatronic Engineer	Engineering	+140%
Automation Manager	Business & Management	+73%
Supply Chain Specialist	Transportation, Warehousing & Logistics	+63%
Compliance Specialist	Finance	+59%
Manufacturing Technician	Manufacturing	+51%
Manufacturing Engineer	Manufacturing	+47%
Logistics Coordinator	Transportation, Warehousing & Logistics	+47%
Transportation Engineer	Transportation, Warehousing & Logistics	+42%
AI Engineer	IT	+25%
Data Engineer	IT	+19%
Warehouse Operations Manager	Transportation, Warehousing & Logistics	+14%
Digital Sales Specialist	Sales	+11%
Robotics Technician	Manufacturing	+11%