New research on several Fairtrade-certified wine farms in the Cape Winelands has found that the working and living conditions at some of these farms fall short of the standards set by Fairtrade International. New research has found that some farm workers on Fairtrade-certified wine farms, which are held to international standards, still have poor housing, […]

Work, it’s something most of us do though it isn’t always enjoyable. Whether it’s long hours, gruelling tasks or just the repetitive nature of a day-to-day routine, work can sometimes be something we have to do rather than something we want to do. But given that the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work […]

Equal Pay Day falls in 2023 on March 14 — a date determined by how long into the new year American women must work to catch up to American men’s earnings the previous year. In 2022, women earned 82% of what men earned. The wage gap for Black and Hispanic women is even higher — […]

On 1 March, South Africa’s new minimum hourly wage rate came into force, rising 9.6% from R23.19 to R25.42 per hour. This rise is above consumer price inflation (CPI) of 6.9%. But with food inflation rates of 13.4% in January 2023, which affects poor people disproportionately, labour activists at the Casual Workers’ Advice Office (CWAO) […]

Fatima Davids has been selling sweets, cereals and spices at her stall inside the Belhar Airport Mall for several years. She is among dozens of informal traders in the mall who have been issued notices by management to vacate the premises. They were initially told to leave by 28 February but it was extended to […]

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the unemployment crisis in South Africa. In the second quarter of 2021, unemployment rates were the highest ever officially recorded. Many people who lost their only source of stable income fell into poverty as a result. Social grants provide income that helps people to survive the short-term economic hardship of unemployment. […]

Five years after a Standard Bank branch manager was fired for “misconduct”, the Johannesburg Labour Appeal Court has ruled that the “unpopular boss” should be reinstated. A fired Standard Bank branch manager must be reinstated, the Johannesburg Labour Appeal Court has ruled. She was an unpopular boss and the staff were “glad to see the […]

The decision to manufacture new uniforms for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) entirely in South Africa will create much needed jobs in the textile and clothing industry, says the Textile Federation. New uniforms for the South African National Defence Force will be made in South Africa, the SANDF says. This is in line […]

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus has assisted to create 8 000 new jobs. Launched in October last year in response to the economic impact of the pandemic, the Presidential Employment Stimulus is designed to support a spectrum of opportunities, focusing on job creation through public employment; job retention in vulnerable […]

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has launched the latest National List of Occupations in High Demand (OIHD) in South Africa. “This list is updated every two years, and marks an important step towards helping us understand better the needs of the labour market, and signals opportunities where our students and graduates […]

The ANC Caucus in Parliament has laid all blame on the EFF for disrupting a public hearing in Limpopo today, on Expropriation of Land Without Compensation, which led to it being cancelled. The ANC said in a statement on Sunday evening that it condemns the EFF for “disorderly conduct” and that the “anarchy” today is […]

Despite the South African economy shedding 2.2 million jobs due to the COVID-19 lockdown, unemployment in the country dropped from 30.1% to 23.3% in the second quarter of 2020, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA)… the lowest rate since 2009! However, before we all celebrate, the sharp fall in unemployment – as published in […]

When you’re used to the standard 9-5 working day, you might find your mind wandering towards faraway destinations in those inevitable moments of boredom. Not many of us have the money or the time to drop everything and travel the world. Travel is expensive and entails a lot of hidden costs. But what if you […]

The signs painted on the safari vehicle driving through Nelspruit clearly pointed out the lunacy of the government’s lockdown regulations. While taxis can load 14 passengers in stuffy vehicles – risking the spread of COVID – open-sided safari vehicles that are rarely filled up have been told they cannot operate. Closed since March 2020, safari […]

The Democratic Alliance says its lawyers have written to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, over the continuous ban on personal care services, such as hairdressers. In a press statement on Tuesday, Dean Macpherson – DA Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, said: “The continued criminalisation of the personal […]

About 1.5 million more South Africans will from 1 May return to work as government begins to lift a fraction of COVID-19 lockdown regulations. This comes as government gradually eases the economy back into activity as announced this week by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The regulations were introduced last month as government sought to counter the […]

Tonight Carte Blanche visits Bloemfontein Zoo where animals were left starving after the zoo was closed down a few months ago. Some even died. Fortunately it was announced in the last week that most have now been relocated to ethical facilities. The current affairs show also investigates how COVID-19 will affect the economy here in […]

The results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the fourth quarter of 2019 show that the official unemployment rate remained unchanged at 29.1%, compared to the third quarter of 2019. Releasing the survey results on Tuesday in Tshwane, Statistician General Risenga Maluleke said this was the first time since 2008 that the unemployment […]

Up until 5 months ago, Llewellyn Barnes (59) was a homeless man, living on the streets of Pretoria, South Africa… but this March, against all odds, he will participate amongst professional players in the Senior Tour, a major golf tournament! A difficult childhood At an early age, Llewellyn faced many obstacles. He became like an […]

When Siphamandla Ntshewula was studying for matric in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, his family used to tell him the bright ceiling lights stopped them sleeping. So the young South African came up with the idea of making desk lamps from plastic bottles. Ntshewula, from T Section in Site B, matriculated in 2017. Now 21, he says […]

Over the last seven years, I have travelled internationally for work to hundreds of cities. I expected that my exposure to other places would create the desire to leave South Africa and experience living overseas… writes Dean Gerber, CA (SA) who works for VAT IT Pty Ltd. In fact, it has had the opposite effect. […]

Recently SAPeople asked the experts in their fields to answer South Africans’ seafarer questions about working on super yachts, to ensure you got the best answers to your queries. The South African Seafarer Experts Trilogy Luxury Training is the only internationally accredited training provider for interior crew in South Africa, but also offer help and […]

If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming a seafarer and travelling the world aboard a super yacht, or if you already have that dream position, here are some top tips from South African experts on how to get and keep your job, your sanity… and your newfound wealth! Lauren Norton, Director of Trilogy Luxury Training, spent […]

There’s a growing trend for young South Africans to work aboard luxury super yachts, earning dollars and seeing the world! But how easy is it to get a job? Here’s one young South African’s firsthand account of her experience looking for work in Antibes… Saffas in Yachting I left South Africa for Antibes in the […]

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, a youth training scheme in South Africa, will be presented with a fantastic $1.5-million award in Oxford this week at Britain’s leading event for social enterprise, the Skoll World Forum. Harambee is one of five social businesses around the world to each receive the $1.5 million prize from the Skoll Foundation, […]