employmentlatest news & developments
Formal-sector employment declined by 14 000 in the second quarter of 2026, while full-time positions fell by 40 000, according to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES).
QUARTELY

Manufacturing and full-time jobs drive 14 000 decline in Q2 employment

Formal-sector employment fell by 14 000 in the second quarter of 2026, while full-time positions declined by 40 000, according to Stats SA’s Quarterly Employment Statistics.

  • Yogashen Pillay
4 min read
Deputy Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Zuko Godlimpi said South Africa must build local digital capabilities, skills and enterprises to ensure technology supports industrialisation, job creation and inclusive growth.
GOVTECH

Godlimpi calls for digital transformation to drive inclusive economic growth

Deputy Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Zuko Godlimpi says South Africa must build local digital capabilities, skills and enterprises to ensure technology supports…

  • Yogashen Pillay
4 min read
South Africa’s construction sector recorded a 5% quarter-on-quarter rebound in the second quarter of 2026, while employment rose by 95,000 year on year, according to the Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) on Monday.
CONSTRUCTION

Afrimat Construction Index rebounds 5% in second quarter

South Africa’s construction sector recorded a 5% quarter-on-quarter rebound in the second quarter, while employment rose by 95,000 year on year, according to the Afrimat…

  • Yogashen Pillay
3 min read
Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has previously stressed that SETAs should no longer be viewed as grant-disbursing agencies or bursary administrators but as strategic economic institutions responsible for aligning workplace learning with industry demand.
THE EDITORS INTERVIEW

Manamela bets on SETAs overhaul to tackle youth joblessness

In an exclusive sit-down with The National, Manamela reveals his plans to overhaul a skills system that has barely changed since 2000 — and what comes next.

  • Siphelele Dludla
6 min read
IA new study released by the Localisation Support Fund (LSF) on Wednesday indicated that stronger Government procurement could unlock R5.11 billion in the clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL). The study was released on Wednesday in a webinar.
CLOTHING

Stronger government procurement could unlock R5.11bn for local CTFL sector, study finds

A Localisation Support Fund study estimates that applying existing local-content requirements more fully could generate R5.11 billion in local CTFL manufacturing revenue, add…

  • Yogashen Pillay
3 min read
South Africa’s agribusiness confidence index rose eight points to 53 in the third quarter, although respondents remained concerned about drought, input costs, export access and logistics.
AGRICULTURE

Agbiz/IDC index rises eight points to 53 in Q3 2026

South Africa’s agribusiness confidence index rose eight points to 53 in the third quarter, although respondents remained concerned about drought, input costs, export access and…

  • Yogashen Pillay
3 min read
Ferran Torres after his World Cup heroics with Spain. The writer questions why South Africa, who hosted the Fifa World C doesnt tap into its huge sport revenue to create jobs. | AFP
JOB CRISIS

Sport could be South Africa’s next great jobs engine

South Africa can draw lessons from global examples to address the urgent need for economic growth.

  • Dr Nik Eberl
5 min read
The Employment Services Amendment Bill seeks to empower the Department of Employment and Labour to manage the flood of undocumented migrant labour, says the writer.
UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS

South Africa’s jobs crisis is forcing a rethink of migration

Cosatu has welcomed the tabling of the Employment Services Amendment Bill, a crucial response to South Africa's alarming unemployment rate of 43.7%.

  • Zingiswa Losi
6 min read