These are the 3 most in-demand jobs in South Africa – and what they pay
Jobs in sales, financial services, and IT are the most in-demand in South Africa, according to the Q2 2023 Pnet Job Market Trends Report.
The report provides insights into recruitment and employment trends in South Africa, and it is designed to help recruiters develop their strategies.
According to Pnet’s research, the local job market increased by 5% quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2023. Hiring activity also jumped by 3% year-on-year.
“It is encouraging to observe that over the past two years (from Q2:2021 to Q2:2023), there has been a 27% growth in jobs. Hiring activity remains stable and has continued to grow since the beginning of the year,” Pnet said.
SMEs represent most businesses worldwide and are crucial for job creation. According to a World Bank Report, they represent approximately 90% of businesses and over 50% of employment worldwide.
The World Bank also said that 40% of GDP in emerging markets is generated by SMEs, which also create 7 out of 10 jobs in the formal sector.
According to Pnet, the most in-demand jobs in the SME sector are:
- Sales Representatives
- Accountants
- Software Developers
Moreover, the report listed the most desired skills by SMEs:
- Business and management skills
- Finance skills
- Sales skills
- Admin, office and support skills
- Information Technology Skills
The report said that when it comes to skills that SMEs lack, software development skills ranked the highest at 41%, whilst 35% of SMEs reported inadequate skills in complex data analysis and mathematics.
“This is particularly severe, as these skills are crucial for the initiation of the digitalisation process and the successful adaptation of new technologies,” Pnet said
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the three most in-demand jobs in South Africa:
Sales Representative
| Top skills | Top educational institutes | Salary range |
| Sales Communication & Negotiation Presentation Skills Customer Services Administration Digital skills Marketing Leadership Time Management | UNISA Damelin University Of Johannesburg Tshwane University of Technology Moonstone University Of Pretoria Durban University of Technology | GP – R19 000 to R25 000 KZN – R19 000 to R24 000 WC – R18 000 to R23 000 |
Financial Accountant
| Top skills | Top educational institutes | Salary range |
| Accounting Pastel Microsoft Office Sage SAP Taxation Communication Financial reporting Caseware Reconciliations Accpac | UNISA University Of Johannesburg CIMA University Of Natal University Of Pretoria SAICA Damelin SAIPA | GP – R31 000 to R41 000 WC – R31 000 to R39 000 KZN – R29 000 to R38 000 |
Software Developer
| Top skills | Top educational institutes | Salary range |
| SQL Net C# HTML JavaScript CSS Java Asp.Net PHP MVC Angular | UNISA Tshwane University of Technology University Of Pretoria University Of Johannesburg Durban University of Technology University Of Durban University Of Natal Cape Peninsula University of Technology | GP – R45 000 to R64 000 WC – R34 000 to R66 000 KZN – R37 000 to R49 000 |
Read: These in-demand jobs in South Africa don’t need a degree
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