Although South Africa’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.5 percentage points in the last quarter of 2025, the country still has 7.8 million unemployed people and faces a significant critical skills shortage.
Career Junction revealed a 4.5% year-on-year increase in job vacancies, with overall recruitment activity increasing by 6% in the last quarter of 2025—indicating that overall hiring activity is growing.
The main sectors experiencing year-on-year growth in recruitment include Admin, Office and Support, up 7%, as well as Finance, Business Management, and IT, all up 3%.
In the Medical and Health industry, hiring activity increased by 36% in the last three months of 2025, while hiring activity for Warehousing and Logistics increased by 10%.
However, while hiring activity and talent searches are growing, critical shortages persist in roles that demand specialised expertise and practical experience.
In its Employment Insights Report, Career Junction pointed out the structural contradiction in South Africa’s labour market, where a high unemployment rate coexists with the inability to fill roles that need specific skills.
This critical skills gap is driven by education systems that are unable to keep up with industry needs, which is often due to a curriculum that is too slow to adapt to the changing industry.
In addition, rapid technological changes, underinvestment in vocational training, and the persistent emigration of experienced professionals further widen the critical skills shortage in the country.
According to Career Junction, these impacts ripple across many industries, with underqualification especially high in management roles (39%) and mining-related occupations (59.5%).
“Recent research also highlights growing competition for scarce skills in STEM-related fields, as well as in roles linked to the green economy, where demand is increasing, but supply remains limited,” said Career Junction.
Critical skills gaps in 2026
The report by Career Junction identifies specific occupations in which employers may struggle to find suitable candidates in 2026.
“As South Africa looks ahead to 2026, skills shortages remain most pronounced in roles that require specialised expertise, formal accreditation, and extensive practical experience.”
The table below shows the roles that employers may continue to have difficulty filling.
| Sector | Roles |
|---|---|
| Engineering & Infrastructure | Civil Engineers Structural Engineers Electrical Engineers Consulting Engineers |
| Financial & Risk Management | Actuaries External Auditors Taxation Specialists |
| Technology & Digital | Database Administrators Software Developers Solutions Architects |
| Healthcare | Nurses Pharmacists |
| Marketing | Product Managers |
To overcome these recruitment challenges, Career Junction suggests that employers take a proactive approach.
“Practical solutions focus on developing existing talent, widening access to new candidate pools, and strengthening partnerships between business, education, and training bodies,” they said.
Career Junction suggests that employers should invest in internal training, reskilling programmes, and online certifications, along with structured mentorship programmes, to strengthen capabilities within companies.
Additionally, employers should place greater emphasis on expanding talent pools by recruiting candidates from underrepresented groups, remote workers, and those with transferable skills.
The report also highlights the importance of partnering with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to support apprenticeships and align education with labour market needs.
“To support sustainable workforce growth, businesses should allocate a portion of payroll
to focused skills development initiatives.”
Career Junction said that South Africa’s skills challenge is shaped by misalignment, not availability, which is evident by the increase in talent searches while critical skills shortages persist.
“For employers, the message is clear: filling critical roles will require broader sourcing, stronger employer branding, and sustained investment in skills development,” said Career Junction.
