Here are the jobs South Africa urgently needs filled in 2025
With one in three adults unemployed, South Africa urgently needs to fill these jobs…
Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, urges school and university leavers to consider careers in fields where South Africa urgently needs workers.
She encourages young people to develop skills that match these critical sectors to secure long-term employment.
While one in three adults remains unemployed, the minister says the country has several in-demand jobs waiting to be filled.
JOBS SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS 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, 350 occupations in seven categories 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