Skills shortages have been an issue for South Africa for some time now and this is further compounded by the growing need for technical and digital skills. There are range posts that are currently “considered” rare as we cannot meet the local demand.
We have in recent years tried to recruit across borders and South Africa has become home to many highly technically skilled foreigners with the country in desperate need of their skills. But even with the influx of foreign talent, we still have plenty of vacancies. So what are the jobs they at we cannot supply locally?
A study of rare jobs in South Africa
Online job portal, Adzuna, has conducted research on the most sought after skills by companies and their demand from job seekers in South Africa. The company lists the skills that push both factors the most to be the rarest skills in the country.
Adzuna looked at the listed job requirements in over 130,000 job listings, assessing the demand for a particular skill, versus job seekers looking for jobs in that specific field.
For more on rare jobs in South Africa, check out our article – 10 unique jobs you didn’t know were in demand in South Africa right now
What defines a rare job skill?
This is what the jobs site refers to as the “Rareness Factor” – where a factor of 2.0 effectively means there are twice as many vacancies for job seekers looking for that positions.
“If a skill is in high demand but low in supply, this makes it rarer than skills which are low in both available candidates and low in demand,” it said.
“If this does not seem rare enough already, bear in mind that the job seeker looking for work in that skill or job title may not even be qualified or suitable for the position.”
Another notable trend which points to job skill rarity is salary – where the more in-demand skills are afforded a much higher average salary.
However, Adzuna pointed out that this is not necessarily always the case, where some industries (such as textiles) where there is a need for certain skills, still don’t pay particularly well.
Skills considered rare in SA
These are the 25 “rarest” skills in South Africa, as well as the average salary offered as at September 2016.
| Job skill or title | Demand from Companies | Demand from Job Seekers | Rareness Factor | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java Developer | 2 181 | 19 | 114.8 | R528 135 |
| Financial Accountant | 996 | 11 | 90.5 | R439 920 |
| Developer | 15 601 | 224 | 69.6 | R470 872 |
| php Developer | 1 458 | 23 | 63.4 | R395 950 |
| Web Developer | 1 366 | 32 | 42.7 | R407 987 |
| Assistant Manager | 948 | 25 | 37.9 | R218 449 |
| Software Developer | 1 219 | 33 | 36.9 | R496 747 |
| Recruiter | 2 450 | 108 | 22.7 | R513 326 |
| Net Developer | 939 | 50 | 18.8 | R467 460 |
| Consultant | 5 644 | 397 | 14.2 | R277 493 |
| Technologist | 929 | 70 | 13.2 | R486 118 |
| Executive | 3 058 | 262 | 11.7 | R315 045 |
| Analyst | 4 054 | 361 | 11.2 | R531 762 |
| Accountant | 3 934 | 376 | 10.5 | R418 910 |
| Pharmacist | 1 284 | 192 | 6.7 | R506 418 |
| Designer | 1 861 | 280 | 6.6 | R363 890 |
| Coordinator | 1 044 | 267 | 3.9 | R246 187 |
| Planner | 872 | 227 | 3.8 | R449 795 |
| Project Manager | 1 370 | 359 | 3.8 | R558 330 |
| Engineer | 8 238 | 2266 | 3.6 | R596 996 |
| Business Analyst | 1 304 | 361 | 3.6 | R569 417 |
| Manager | 22 631 | 6479 | 3.5 | R498 565 |
| Quantity Surveyor | 901 | 269 | 3.3 | R532 380 |
| Civil Engineer | 869 | 269 | 3.2 | R592 809 |
| Bookkeeper | 1 336 | 490 | 2.7 | R181 150 |
Source: Adzuna & businesstech
Do you have the skill?
If you have one of the skills listed above and are interested in relocating to South Africa then don’t let the opportunity pass you by and have an immigration lawyer handle your work visa issues while you concentrate on the interview and job offer.
Speak to a professional now
Contact Le Roux Attorneys, South African Visa specialists about your visa application. Start by selecting one of the enquiry options below