These in-demand jobs don’t require a degree in South Africa

The Pnet JobMarket Trends Report for Q4 2022 shows that there are many in-demand jobs in South Africa that do not require a degree or tertiary qualifications. The report provides an overview of South African employment and recruitment trends and is based on data from Saongroup’s online recruitment platforms, which have over 8 million registered users. After analysing roughly two million candidates’ records in their current roles, Pnet assessed what qualifications are required in today’s job market. It found that the following professions require little investment in tertiary education:

• Truck driver
• Painter and paper-hanger
• Home appliances installer
• Repairman
• Carpet fitter
• Floor layer
• Tiler
• Carpenter
• Cabinet maker
• Hairdresser

Pnet said that the highest level of education for about 30% of professionals within these job roles is matric or some schooling. It said that only a third of professionals within these job roles acquired a tertiary qualification. “Consequently, careers in these roles are recommended for jobseekers who don’t see themselves involved in lengthy tertiary education courses.” Pnet added that the following careers require some but not an extensive tertiary education:

• Staff recruitment
• Artisan
• Mining inspector
• Purchasing and procurement
• Materials control
• Paramedic

“Although 39% to 60% of these types of roles require some level of tertiary education, one out of five professionals within these job roles managed to build their career with matric or some schooling and no further qualifications,” the group said. According to Pnet, job roles with the highest number of highly educated professionals are:

• Economist
• Medical Scientist
• Information Scientist
• Therapist
• Market & Research Analyst
• Environmental Scientist

Out of these jobs requiring more qualifications, 71% to 78% of such roles require tertiary education, and at least one out of five professionals have a master’s or doctorate degree. When taking a broader look at South African jobseekers (aged between 15 and 24), just over one-third have a tertiary qualification, the other third a matric and 30% a professional course or certain certificate qualifications. The Department of Basic Education recently published the matric results for 2022, showing an 80.1% pass rate, up 3.7 percentage points and marking the second-highest result since 2019. Despite such a positive outcome, even with good marks, a university education is often considered an unaffordable option for many South Africans. With high tuition fees and living expenses, attending university can put a significant financial strain on families and individuals Old Mutual reports show that the average cost of sending a graduate to university in South Africa is R55,900 in 2023 and is projected to rise to R95,700 by 2030, reaching R177,200 by 2038.