Top 10 in-demand jobs in South Africa right now!

Staying on top of job trends is a big part of job searching. You may have just graduated high school, finished college or you are looking for a career change to something that you are passionate about. Whatever it is, you need to be knowledgeable of the recent happenings in the job market. Knowing what careers are in demand and also have the highest annual salary will help you make informed decisions about your career. Career Digest has compiled a list of the top 10 in-demand jobs in South Africa as published by The Depart of Home Affairs, South Africa. Covid 19 has played a bigger part in job rankings. The trends have since shifted since then. We have picked the top ten entry-level jobs from the list; you can download the full list here.

Artisans

The need for skilled artisans has been at an all-time high in recent years. Artisans include professions like carpenters, electricians, mechanics, fitters, millwrights, and many more technical jobs. South Africa has always faced a massive shortage of artisans. The reason could be that most students opt for white-collar careers and shun the blue-collar industry. There are more misconceptions about blue-collar work, which drive students away. The Deputy Minister of education has since stated that the shortage has gotten so bad, that they are now importing artisans from other countries.

School teachers/Educators

There is a demand for FET Phase School teachers in South Africa at the moment. Particularly, teachers who can teach many subjects and prepare students for employment. The teachers must be SACE registered and possess all the requirements needed to become a teacher. In 2021 Business Tech reported 21 000 vacant teacher jobs in South Africa. Teaching is one of the most important professions in society. Teachers improve society. Not only do they educate, but a teacher also inspires, motivates, and mentors students to be the best they can be. Ultimately, teachers shape individuals who build nations.

Accountants

Thinking about having a career in the field of Finance? Accounting can be the job for you. Today there has been a shortage of accountants in South Africa, with organizations being forced to source and employ foreign nationals to fill in the positions. The accounting profession has found itself on the Critical Skills List of 2022, further cementing its importance.  In recent years, the demand for accounting jobs has outpaced the supply. The reason for this phenomenon can be traced to rapid digitalization and a change in policies and regulations. Accounting comprises different facets, from auditing, management accountant, tax accountant, and Consultants to challenging roles like forensic accounting.

Auditors

Auditors are part of the accounting profession. They are vital for the smooth running of firms, making sure all financial processes are efficient and secure. An auditor is responsible for examining the financial statements of a company to ensure they are being done correctly and following all regulations. Auditors can work in both public and private sectors as internal and external auditors respectively. South Africa has an inadequate supply of auditors hence making it on the critical skills list for 2022.

Call center agents/Contact center consultants

The recent covid outbreak has seen a rise in demand for call center agents. Customers were no longer able to visit businesses but made use of telephone calls and emails to communicate with companies. A call center agent is a person who is responsible for handling incoming or outgoing customer calls for a business. Call center agents also handle customer inquiries, complaints, and support issues.

Drivers

The supply chain process is one of the most important sectors of the economy. Logistics is a big part of the supply chain process. The trucking industry handles most of the logistics duties of the supply chain process. A massive shortage of drivers will result in a compromised supply chain process which is bad for the local economy. Drivers deliver important merchandise such as medical supplies, food, and utilities on time. The pandemic period has seen a sharp rise in the demand for drivers worldwide, South Africa is no exception.

Registered Nurse

The demand for nurses is no shock since the covid outbreak. The increase in number of patients who need critical care has risen worldwide. There have been numerous covid centers that have been deployed in a bid to beat covid, hence thousands of nurses have been employed in the process too. Medical practices have seen the need for more health care workers, for them to be better prepared for future disease outbreaks. The demand for nurses is high all over the world, and some local nurses are leaving and going abroad to get better-paying jobs. Consequently, all this results in a shortage of nurses in South Africa.

Geologists

Geologists study the earth and its history. They analyze and observe how the natural processes affect the earth. Geologists also try to understand the chronology of the minerals found on earth. Geologists play an important role in the mining sector. They come up with practical and safe solutions for the mining process.

Web Developers

Web developers are in demand across all industries in South Africa. The recent pandemic has further fueled digitalization. Most companies are conducting their businesses online, thereby cementing the overall need for web developers.

IT Specialists

The demand for IT specialists has grown since the digital revolution of the business world. Companies scrambling to adapt to a tight IT job market, therefore they’re doing whatever they can to attract the top tech talent. IT has various fields and the ones, particularly in demand in South Africa, are Software developers, IT security, Data scientists, and Application support.

Data scientists: make use of scientific methods and algorithms to analyze large amounts of data for vital information that helps companies solve problems and succeed. In this era where there is too much data flowing every minute data scientists are a necessity.

IT security experts: IT Security specialists protect companies from cybercrime such as data theft, corruption, and data loss. Although digitalization has many positives, it has one major negative which is its susceptibility to hacking and malware. An IT security specialist is there to prevent this from happening.

Software developers: Software developers design appropriate software to solve company problems or for business development. They use programming languages like java to design software programmes that can be useful, for a firm.

Final words

Given the changing nature of the business environment at large, the jobs in demand in South Africa can change with time however today in 2022 these are some of the most in-demand jobs in South Africa.