Australia is not unique in that it, too, faces a shortage of critical skills and is desperately looking for anyone—including South Africans—to fill jobs within its top five in-demand fields.
According to the Australian government’s annual jobs and skills report for 2023, 36% of all occupations were in national shortage—5% higher than in 2022.
However, when looking at skilled professions, the shortage was more pronounced at almost half (or 48%) of Professional group occupations in 2023, compared to 39% in 2022.
According to the report, this is a result of the sustained growth in full-time employment over the years, coupled with a low rate of underemployment, which shows greater workforce utilisation and less capacity for supply to meet additional demand.
According to Australia’s Skilled Priority List 2024, the most in-demand job sectors are healthcare, engineering, Information technology (IT), and education.
Additionally, the higher proportion of professional group occupations in shortage was largely driven by health and ICT professionals.
The report noted that more than four in five Health Professionals occupations (or 82%) were in shortage, while almost seven in ten ICT Professionals (69%) were in shortage.
Tapping South Africans
The latest government statistics show that 206,730 South African-born people were living in Australia, making the South African-born population the seventh largest migrant community in the country.
The majority of these migrants have the skills, qualifications, and entrepreneurship most needed in the Australian economy.
This is not surprising, considering South Africa is among their first choices for talent scouting.
According to digital outsourcing and consulting firm Strider Digital, South Africans are outsourced due to their high standard of education and experience, work ethic, diversity, culture, and time zone.
“South Africa is home to a highly educated and skilled workforce, with many individuals holding degrees in Engineering, IT, software development, business and marketing,” said business development consultant at Strider Digital Bjorn Annegarn.
“South Africa has been favoured as a fast-developing outsourcing industry for a few years now,” he said.
Strider Digital’s CEO, Annabel Dallamore, also noted the allure of South Africa’s work ethic.
She mentioned that the work culture in South Africa aligns with that of the UK and Australia.
South African professionals value collaboration, are open to diverse perspectives, and adhere to working principles such as punctuality and preparedness.
According to OECD data, the average South African works 43.3 hours per week. This puts them at the fifth highest in the world.
However, it is also generally known that many workers work hours well above the maximum limit stipulated by labour law.
Interestingly, according to the Australian consultancy firm ConsultANZ, Construction managers, Civil engineers, school teachers, nurses, and ICT business and systems analysts are among the most in-demand jobs over the next five years.
Notably, the government’s migration statistics show that the primary jobs filled by South Africans living in Australia include these wanted professions.
According to Australia’s Home Affairs statistics, some of the most popular jobs occupied by South Africans are:
- Secondary school teachers,
- Pre-primary school teachers,
- Civil engineering professionals,
- Accountants,
- ICT business and systems analysts, and
- Construction managers
Considering these in-demand professions, BusinessTech looked at the annual salary ranges of these jobs as outlined by recruitment firm Talent.com.
Unsurprisingly, doctors can earn the most, followed by construction managers, engineers, and ICT business and systems analysts.
The annual salaries for highly sought-after occupations in medicine, such as doctors, range from R1.44 million to R3.6 million, while some titles in construction management and engineering can also reach the R2 million mark.
A notable surprise is the salaries afforded to preschool teachers, which can range from R92,000 to R1.2 million, averaging just under R1 million—which is almost 4 times what a teacher in South Africa makes (R254,000 per annum, according to Talent.com).
The top four in-demand jobs within Australia’s most sought-after sectors—which are also actively filled by South Africans—and their salaries are listed below.
| Job | Average Salary | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Manager | AUD$140,000 (R1.71 million) |
$115,000 to $195,667 |
| Civil Engineering Professional | AUD$101,061 (R1.24 million) |
$78,985 to $150,000 |
| Pre-Primary school teacher | AUD$83,435 (R1.02 million) |
$76,339 to $96,384 |
| Nurse | AUD$87,750 (R1.07 million) |
$76,149 to $118,891 |
| Doctors | AUD$156,000 (R1.91 million) |
$118,573 to $296,400 |
| ICT Business and Systems analyst | AUD$108,210 (R1.32 million) |
$65,625 to $138,100 |
| Accountants | AUD$99,788 (R1.22 million) |
$79,375 to $124,590 |
Read: South Africa bleeding the next generation of skills
