Who doesn’t want to get a job in SA, the home of world-acclaimed anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela? South Africa is one of the most visited countries in Africa.
Despite the sporadic xenophobic attacks in SA, quite a lot of expatriates still inhabit this southern tip of the African continent. Foreigners seeking to make ends meet in South Africa must learn how to search for jobs in South Africa.
Even though the business atmosphere in South Africa may not be very friendly to all the citizens, there is a good chance foreigners can get jobs, provided they look in the right direction.
Before sending applications for South African work permits, foreigners must produce evidence of their job offers.
Now you may be asking: How do you search for jobs in South Africa when you are so far from the country, and only know a few people?
Well, there is no need to fret over anything. Nowadays, foreigners seeking South African jobs are entreated to begin their searches online. It would be a bad idea to think that you can begin your job search after landing in South Africa.
Advance preparation is the key to conquering the South African job market as an expat. Assuming you are able to get some job offers, the next thing you want to do is to send in an application for a work seeker’s permit.
Hopefully, if everything goes well, the work permit will open doors for you to visit South Africa for an interview.
It turns out networking and recommendation are part of the south African ways of seeking jobs.
How to Search Jobs in South Africa, SA
Use South African Job Search Websites.
The list of South African job search websites are many. But the most common ones are:
- Jobdirecta South Africa
- Wegotads.co.za
- Findajobinafrica.com
- Employsa.co.za
- Bestjobs.co.za
Online Classifieds and Newspapers
Some online directories function as recruitment agencies linking job seekers to employers. Examples are:
- Mg.co.za
- Timeslive.co.za
Recruitment Agencies
In South Africa, you can also search for jobs on the following websites.
- Ananzi.co.za
- Yellowpages.co.za
Trade Unions
The following trade unions and organizations can also be your best partners when you are looking forward to landing a South African job.
- Cosatu.org.za
- Fedusa.org.za
- Abasa.org.za
- Saica.co.za
- Saimeche.org.za
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How To Find a Job in South Africa as a Foreigner
Some people say that if you know nobody in South Africa, your pure knowledge and experience will not necessarily bring you a job.
The question is, should this be the case?
Anyway, corruption in the job market is a common problem in many countries, not only in South Africa.
But at the end of the day, if you are a smart foreign job seeker, you can still get your dream South African job, without having to pass through the eye of a needle.
But, before you begin your search for South African jobs, it’s advisable to analyze your skills by checking South Africa’s Homeland Department official website.
A quick glance at their website will help you to discover the key skills that are highly sought by some South African employers.
Assuming you meet the critical skills in demand, you can then carry on with your South Africa job search.
Using Google to Search for South African Job Opportunities
You can’t say you will ignore the world’s most powerful search engine ( i.e google.com) when you are serious about getting employment in South Africa.
Google search engine can take you to farther places on the internet. You don’t need to be a master of the web before you can type a search query into google.com/search. Even with a smartphone or a computer, Google will allow you to browse the latest job openings in South Africa and many other African countries.
The sad reality is that you must understand that if you are a foreigner, your chances of securing a South African Job are very much lower.
In fact, some people believe that less than 1% of South African companies would want to hire foreigners.
Nevertheless, if you are a skillful man of action who is unfazed by nothing, you can break all the odds and secure a good job in South Africa, just by using Google to navigate the web.
Here more recruitment websites that can help you to realize your dream to stay and work permanently in South Africa.
- Pnet.co.za
This is an amazing online recruitment site. Here, you can find jobs across the length and breadth of South Africa. - Indeed.co.za
A wonderful South African job search engine. - CareerJet.co.za
A great search engine for hunting jobs in South Africa and the world at large. - Jobs.co.za
It is one of the best sites for checking out the South African Job market. - Careers24.com
Provides useful info on SA job opportunities. - CareerJunction.co za
Surely worth exploring the employment opportunities in SA. - Gumtree.co.za
This site is quite different from what you were expecting. Anyway, it’s a huge classifieds website that also features job lists.
Here, you will have to perform your own analysis in order to come out clean with the best offer. There is no guarantee that all job adverts will meet your checklist.
Using Business Directories to Search for South African Job Opportunities
Using South Africa business directories is a useful tool to tailor your job search procedure. Note that, not all companies patronise recruitment websites in South Africa or South Africa job portals. So it is advisable for job seekers to look for companies on business listing websites where they can filter search results to their specific industry and then directly visit company websites that are readily available on top business in South Africa including relevant contact details. While on the company websites, you can visit their career pages to see their open job vacancies in South Africa. If no they live jobs exist, an additional step is to send speculative job applications to the company. Speculative applications give you the opportunity to sell your qualification, skills, and experience to the company. It also creates a sense of proactiveness which can potentially create the first impression to get invited for an interview or being placed on a waiting list once related job opportunities in South Africa are available.
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The Job Market in South Africa
There is big money in the South African economy. But did you know that unemployment numbers are also big in South Africa?
Yes. That’s the dark side of the African Job Market. As of 2015, the unemployment rate hit 25% in the southernmost African country.
So what makes you think that you can easily get a job in South Africa? Ok! Let’s say your unmatched skills and qualifications tell you so.
However, the truth is that South Africa is far from being the heaven you think it is. If you are that guy who wants to avoid manual work, then running to South Africa may not be a solution.
In SA, there is a large number of both unskilled and unskilled laborers. It’s important to understand the nature of the job before you leave for greener pastures.
Despite the fact that South African employers prefer to hire their own citizens, foreigners can get South African jobs if they meet the critical requirements.
The government’s SGI-SA program (Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa) spells out these requirements.
The rule is that a foreign job seeker must be formally educated and has up to 5 years of relevant work experience under his belt.
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Other South African Job Requirements
Language Skills and Qualifications
In South Africa, there are over 11 spoken languages. But the English language is mainly used in the job market, media, and politics.
Knowledge of the Afrikaans language will be an advantage. South African employers don’t just accept any qualifications you present.
The government has mandated the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as the body responsible for examining the qualifications of foreign job applicants who want to work in SA.
The good news is that applicants can submit their qualifications online for cross-checking to see if they are recognized by the government.
Conclusion
No one can rule out your possibility of getting employment in South Africa, except you. Provided you have the right skillset and qualification, you can try your luck searching for South Africa jobs.
Finally, when you happen to get one, please be mindful of xenophobic attacks since South Africa has a high rate of violence against foreigners. Do your research and avoid such areas so as not to get into trouble. In general South Africa is a beautiful country to live and work in.
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