{"id":834305,"date":"2025-08-08T10:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T08:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=834305"},"modified":"2025-08-08T10:14:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T08:14:08","slug":"10-of-the-fastest-growing-jobs-in-south-africa-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/834305\/10-of-the-fastest-growing-jobs-in-south-africa-this-year\/","title":{"rendered":"10 of the fastest growing jobs in South Africa this year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The latest report from CareerJunction highlighted the top 10 fastest-growing jobs in South Africa this year, which include roles in IT and AI as well as traditional jobs such as electricians and business managers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the latest CareerJunction Employment Insights Report for the second quarter of 2025, job vacancies across the country have fallen by 4.2% year-on-year, with a broader decline of 11.1% over the past two years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first half of 2025 followed a similar trend as job listings dropped 2% between the first and second quarters, showing the same decline between the final quarter of 2024 and the start of 2025.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Administrative, financial, and IT roles have been particularly affected. Admin, Office &amp; Support jobs dropped by 2%, Finance vacancies declined 14%, and IT listings fell by 20% year-on-year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the decline, IT professionals remain in demand, just at lower volumes than in previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Comparing April to June 2025 with the previous three months, hiring activity increased by 27% for Medical &amp; Health professionals, 18% for Marketing professionals, and 12% for Manufacturing &amp; Assembly workers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, Admin and Support roles, which include HR, secretaries, clerks, and personal assistants, saw an 8% decline over the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering these changes in the market, CareerJunction identified 10 job roles that have grown the most since 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These roles include both traditional sectors and those driven by technology, indicating a broad demand for skilled professionals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The list was compiled by measuring growth in vacancy volumes from 2021 to 2025, offering a long-term view of how the job market is evolving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the overall job market in South Africa faces challenges, the CareerJunction data shows there are still opportunities for professionals with technical skills, industry-specific expertise, or leadership abilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strongest growth isn\u2019t limited to new and emerging tech jobs but extends to traditional roles that continue to form the backbone of the country\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The top 10 in-demand jobs&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/electricity.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/electricity-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-800455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/electricity-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/electricity-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/electricity-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/electricity.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the top of the list are civil and structural engineers, who have seen a 232% rise in demand over the last four years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These professionals are vital in designing and managing infrastructure projects like roads, buildings, and bridges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their skills are increasingly sought after in the construction and development sectors, with hiring continuing to grow steadily year-on-year. Mechanical engineers are close behind, with a 142% surge in demand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These engineers are instrumental in industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and energy, where they design and maintain machinery and mechanical systems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bulk of this growth occurred between 2022 and 2023, but the upward trend has continued at 7% annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Closing out the top three is payroll and wages officers have also become significantly more sought after, with a 78% increase in demand since 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their role in ensuring accurate and compliant payroll systems has made them indispensable in both the private and public sectors, with hiring growing by 10% in the past year alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The top jobs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Civil or Structural engineer (+232%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mechanical engineer (+142%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payroll and wage officer (+78%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tool or die makers (+78%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Graphic designers (+63%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Electrical and Electronic equipment technicians (+57%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tax specialists (+33%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Business Developers (+23%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Senior managers (+23%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Executive managers or directors (+14%)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Tool and die makers, a specialised group of artisans responsible for producing precision tools and molds, have also seen a 78% rise in demand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of this growth took place between 2022 and 2023, and the trend has continued into 2025 with 14% year-on-year growth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These professionals are critical to the manufacturing industry, which has seen a modest hiring rebound this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Graphic designers, including those in print and packaging, have experienced a 63% increase in demand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This growth reflects a growing need for visual storytelling and brand differentiation in a competitive consumer market. Hiring for these creative roles jumped 24% in the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Demand for electrical and electronic equipment technicians has grown by 57% since 2021, with a strong 37% rise in hiring over the past year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These technicians install, maintain, and repair electronic systems across various industries, from industrial equipment to healthcare technology, making their expertise increasingly valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tax specialists have also found themselves in higher demand, with a 33% increase in job listings since 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As businesses face more complex financial regulations, these professionals help organisations navigate tax compliance while maximising efficiency. Hiring for this role rose by 6% year-on-year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Business developers, who drive growth by identifying opportunities and expanding a company\u2019s market presence, have seen a 23% increase in demand over four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the year-on-year growth sits at a modest 1%, demand for this strategic role remains steady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior managers have experienced a similar growth trajectory, also up 23% since 2021. These leaders are responsible for shaping business strategies and overseeing operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past year, hiring activity jumped 21%, highlighting the importance of strong leadership during uncertain economic times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rounding out the top 10 are executive managers and directors, whose demand has grown by 14% over the past four years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like their senior management counterparts, they play an important role in guiding companies toward long-term success. Hiring for these roles rose by 11% in the last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest report from CareerJunction highlighted the top 10 fastest-growing jobs in South Africa this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":676275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[9405,853],"class_list":["post-834305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-career-junction","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=834305"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":834340,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834305\/revisions\/834340"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/676275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=834305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=834305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=834305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}