The fastest-growing jobs in South Africa

Despite South Africa’s high unemployment rate and slowing hiring activity, some careers remain in high demand.

According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q1 2025, the country’s unemployment rate reached 32.9%. This is an increase from Q4 2024, which saw an unemployment rate of 31.9%.

Using the broad definition, which includes discouraged work seekers, the unemployment rate in Q1 2025 was 46.78% compared to 45.70% in the previous quarter.

For South Africa’s youth, this problem is even worse. In the first quarter of 2015, the official unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 34 was 36.9%.

Over the past decade, this number has climbed by 9.2 percentage points, bringing the youth unemployment rate up to 46.1% in the first quarter of 2025.

When the number of discouraged jobseekers is included, the real unemployment rate rises from 4.8 million to over 6.7 million South Africans aged 15 to 34.

CareerJunction’s Employment Insights Report for Q2 2025 also found that hiring activity slowed in South Africa.

Year-on-year, the number of vacancies has decreased by 4.2%. From Q2 2023 to Q2 2025, the volume of jobs dropped by 11.1%. In Q2 2025, job advertising activity also saw a slight decline of 2% compared to the first quarter of the year.

Careers such as admin, business management, finance and IT all saw declines in vacancy volumes from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025.

IT professionals saw the biggest year-on-year drop at 20%. However, the report clarified that these jobs remain relatively high in demand.

At 8%, administrative, office, and support professionals, including those in careers such as administrative clerks, human resources, secretaries, and personal assistants, saw the most significant quarterly drop.

However, there were some professions that saw increased hiring activity during the second quarter of 2025.

Notably, there was a 27% increase in hiring activity in the medical field, driven particularly by pharmacists. Marketing saw an 18% increase, and manufacturing and assembly professionals saw a 12% increase.

Top 10 fastest-growing jobs in South Africa

CareerJunction also compared vacancy volumes from 2021 to 2025 to determine which job roles are experiencing the fastest growth.

Civil and structural engineers saw the largest spike in demand since 2021, growing 232%. These professionals design and oversee infrastructure construction, ensuring buildings, roads, and bridges are safe, sustainable, and efficient.

According to the report, the significant increase in hiring activity reflects the growing need for these professionals in the construction and infrastructure sectors.

The second largest demand increase came from mechanical engineers, growing 142% during the period.

These engineers design, develop, and test mechanical systems and machinery, playing a crucial role in manufacturing, automotive, and energy industries.

Year-on-year, hiring has continued to grow by 7%, reflecting the ongoing need for these skilled professionals.

Demand for tool and die makers, professionals who create precision tools and moulds used in manufacturing, shot up by 78%, with a significant leap in growth from 2022 to 2023.

Year-on-year, hiring activity has grown by 14%, underscoring the increasing need for these critical artisans in the manufacturing sector.

Demand for payroll and wage officers also grew by 78% during the period. Workers in this field ensure employees are paid accurately and on time, manage complex payroll systems, and comply with tax regulations. Year-on-year, hiring activity increased 10%.

Graphic, print, and packaging designers followed, with a 63% increase in demand from 2021 to 2024. Notably, these careers also saw a 24% year-on-year increase in hiring activity.

These roles bring visual concepts to life and create everything from brand logos to product packaging. They combine creativity with technical skills to craft designs to communicate messages and drive consumer engagement.

“While many of these roles were initially expected to be within the IT or AI sectors, the results were surprising,” CareerJunction said. “The list revealed that traditional job roles are also in high demand and seeing substantial growth.”

The table below shows the list of the 10 fastest-growing job roles in South Africa from 2021 to 2025, according to CareerJunction.