Pnet Jobs Market Trends Report: October 2025
Hiring activity in September 2025 increased by +7% year-on-year and +6% month-on month. This overall rise reflects growth across both underlying indicators:
Vacancy advertising increased by +6% year-on-year and +4% month-on month, showing stronger demand for talent through job postings.
Candidate database searches rose by +9% year-on-year and +12% month on-month, highlighting more active headhunting and direct sourcing by recruiters.
Latest updates snapshot:
Competitor News:
IT roles at top of remote jobs rebound after two-year decline – Pnet
IT Web
Remote and hybrid work in South Africa is showing signs of resurgence: according to Pnet’s October 2025 Job Market Trends Report (based on data from The StepStone Group) the share of remote postings has edged up by 0.5 % from March to September 2025. IT roles (especially software development) still lead, but flexibility is expanding across admin, finance and business‑functions.
Competitor thought leadership – October
Competitors putting out content include Workforce, MASA, OfferZen, Executive Placements and Phakisa
Future-proof jobs: 15 jobs with strong prospects for the future – Pnet
BizCommunity
Pnet’s September 2025 Job Market Trends Report highlights rising demand in South Africa for roles blending technical expertise, business acumen, and digital fluency. Growth is especially strong in cybersecurity, engineering, logistics, automation, and compliance roles, reflecting evolving industry needs driven by digitalisation, regulation, and globalised operations.
Published competitor and industry reports
A history of published reports by competitors and industry sources
New reports from CareerJunction, Pnet and StatsSA.
One skill South African companies are looking for – Pnet
Daily Investor
AI-related job demand in South Africa has surged by over 350% since 2019, with AI-skilled roles now outpacing specialist AI positions. Despite an overall slowdown in hiring, demand for AI proficiency is rising sharply, reshaping traditional roles across industries and creating global employment opportunities, especially from Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Behind the grid: workforce solutions for power plant reliability – Quyn
IOL
TES providers are critical to maintaining South Africa’s power plants by rapidly supplying skilled labour for scheduled maintenance. These short-term deployments prevent grid instability and economic disruption while also upskilling the workforce for future energy needs, including renewable systems. Efficient TES partnerships protect energy security and support economic resilience.
Sector and Company News:
One of South Africa’s biggest retailers rolling out hundreds of stores
Daiuly Investor
Clicks Group delivered robust FY 2025 results: turnover rose 5.3% to R47.83 billion, retail turnover increased 6.0%, and basic earnings per share climbed 14.5% to 1 363 cents. Private‑label and exclusive brands grew 10.7%. The retailer now operates over 990 stores and 780 pharmacies, targeting 1 200 stores medium‑term.
End of an era for Coca-Cola in South Africa
BusinessTech
Coca-Cola HBC AG will acquire a 75% stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) for $2.6 billion (R45 billion), expanding its reach to 14 African countries. The deal makes Coca-Cola HBC the second-largest bottler globally by volume and could trigger job cuts in South Africa as restructuring unfolds.
South Africa ditching coal, eyes nuclear in new R2.2 trillion energy plan
BusinessTech
South Africa plans to invest R2.23 trillion in energy infrastructure by 2042, significantly increasing its reliance on nuclear and gas, while reducing coal dependency. The new Integrated Resource Plan revives the modular nuclear reactor programme and aims to boost energy security and emissions reduction over the next 14 years.
Dark clouds gather over one of South Africa’s most important employers
Daily Investor
South Africa’s manufacturing sector is under deep strain from high tariffs, soaring electricity costs, logistics issues and weak local demand. These pressures threaten millions of jobs and increase reliance on imports. With manufacturing disproportionately able to absorb semi‑skilled labour, its decline risks worsening the unemployment crisis.
South African steel giant’s R8.5 billion state buyout talks accelerate
BusinessTech
Talks are progressing between ArcelorMittal and South African authorities, including the IDC and DTIC, regarding the potential sale of ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. The IDC is considering a bid of R8.5 billion, including debt, to prevent mill closures that could impact thousands of jobs in the steel sector.
Johannesburg secures R550 million international grant for waste-to-energy project
IOL
The City of Johannesburg’s R5.7 billion Alternative Waste Treatment Technology Project has secured R550 million in international funding to advance waste-to-energy infrastructure. The public-private initiative will divert 500,000 tons of waste from landfills annually and generate 28 MW of electricity, promoting sustainability and circular economy principles in urban infrastructure.
PIC commits R1.35bn to fund early-stage mining projects
IOL
The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has committed R1.35 billion to early-stage mining ventures across South Africa and Africa. Targeting projects from post-scoping to feasibility stages, the initiative aims to de-risk exploration, support the just energy transition, and catalyse growth in critical minerals aligned with green and industrial development strategies.
Manufacturing production down 1.5% y/y in August
Engineering News
South Africa’s manufacturing production declined 1.5% year-on-year in August 2025, driven by contractions in metal and food sectors. However, short-term trends showed modest growth, with a 0.4% month-on-month increase and 1.5% growth over three months. Manufacturing sales also rose, suggesting a mixed but stabilising industrial performance.
Important South African industry crumbling in front of everyone’s eyes
Daily Investor
South Africa’s automotive manufacturing industry is under threat due to tariffs, energy instability, policy uncertainty, and import competition, particularly from China. Local production and localisation are declining, putting the Automotive Industry Master Plan 2035 at risk. Infrastructure improvements offer some hope, but urgent government intervention is needed to prevent further deindustrialisation.
South African News and Trends:
Disaster for South Africa with 40,000 more jobs on the line
BusinessTech
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) warns that escalating U.S. tariffs on South African exports, combined with the expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), could reduce GDP growth by up to 0.4 percentage points and cost around 40 000 jobs, especially in manufacturing and agriculture sectors.
Push to scrap BEE in South Africa
BusinessTech
The Democratic Alliance plans to replace South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation with a new Economic Inclusion for All Bill, targeting procurement reform. This move deepens policy tensions within the fragile government of national unity and raises uncertainties for companies reliant on existing transformation frameworks for compliance and contracts.
Warning for employers in South Africa who want to dismiss these employees
Daily Investor
Legal experts caution that dismissing an employee for misconduct when they are medically dependent on a substance (such as alcohol) can render the dismissal both procedurally and substantively unfair under South African labour law.
South Africa to lift shale gas moratorium this month
Engineering News
Karoo Basin in South Africa is set to reopen for shale‑gas exploration after a moratorium dating back to 2011. The ban will be lifted once new regulations are published this month, with the government aiming to boost economic growth and diversify energy sources.
Government coming after businesses in South Africa for R1.5 million or up to 10% of turnover
BusinessTech
The Employment Equity Act (EEA) reforms coming into effect in South Africa will impose binding sector‑specific racial employment targets for large employers from April 2025, and non‑compliance may result in loss of state contracts and penalties from R1.5 million up to 10% of turnover.
South African business confidence edges up in September
Engineering News
South Africa’s business confidence rose to 121.1 in September, up from 120.0 in August, driven by strong tourism, rising precious metal prices, and increased exports. While year-on-year economic indicators improved, uncertainty over US tariffs, especially a new 30% duty, continues to cast a shadow over the outlook.
Global News and Trends:
Nestle to cut 16 000 jobs worldwide
IOL
Nestlé will cut 16,000 jobs globally—12,000 of them white-collar—over the next two years as part of a major cost-saving drive under new CEO Philipp Navratil. The cuts aim to save CHF 3 billion by 2027. Despite sales slipping, shares surged 8% on the news, signalling investor support for the overhaul.
The state of global labour markets in 2025, and other trends in jobs and skills this month
World Economic Forum
Global labour markets show diverging trends in Q4 2025, with low unemployment in high-income countries but high joblessness in regions like South Africa. AI, demographic shifts, and green transitions are reshaping job demands. Participation rates, not just unemployment, are emerging as critical indicators of labour market health and workforce strategy.
Microsoft study reveals the job types most at risk from AI disruption
Moneyweb
A study on Microsoft Copilot use shows white-collar roles face the greatest AI disruption risk. Administrative assistants, paralegals, customer service reps, account managers, and financial analysts rank highest. AI excels in text processing, data analysis, and structured decision-making, prompting workflow changes and reskilling needs across professional and clerical office jobs.
Microsoft touts $500m AI savings while slashing jobs
Moneyweb
Microsoft reports AI-driven productivity gains across sales, support, and software engineering, saving $500 million in call centres and generating 35% of new product code. While the company has cut 15,000 jobs in 2025, it insists AI isn’t the main driver. Still, automation fears persist as AI adoption accelerates across tech.
Alphabet CEO expects to keep hiring engineers while AI advances
Moneyweb
Despite industry-wide job cuts due to heavy AI investments, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced plans to expand engineering hires into 2026, citing AI’s role in boosting productivity. While AI excels in coding, it still makes basic errors. Google pledges to maintain web traffic even as AI-generated content becomes more prominent.
Job interviews enter a strange new world with AI that talks back
Moneyweb
AI-driven job interviews are gaining traction, with startups like Ribbon, HeyMilo and Apriora deploying synthetic voice bots for initial screenings. These tools aim to increase efficiency in high-volume hiring, but concerns remain over glitches, bias, and impersonal interactions. Regulation is growing as companies expand AI use beyond early interview stages.