Entry-level and junior jobs in South Africa
Jobs for people starting out: junior and trainee posts, roles for school leavers, and adverts that read as entry level. Senior and management titles are left out.
Never pay for a job. Real learnerships, internships and jobs never ask you for money: not for an application, registration, training material, a uniform, a background check or to "secure your place". If someone asks you to pay or to deposit money first, it is a scam. The Department of Employment and Labour says no one may charge a work seeker a fee for finding them work.
Getting a first job
Apply for posts whose requirements you mostly meet, and say what you can do: school subjects, volunteering, part-time work, a driver's licence, computer skills. Keep your CV to one or two pages with your contact details at the top.
If you are 18 to 34, SA Youth is a free service, with no data needed, that matches young people to jobs and learning opportunities. You can also register as a work seeker with the Department of Employment and Labour on ESSA or at a Labour Centre.
Questions
- Do I have to pay to get a job?
- No. No one may charge a work seeker a fee for finding them work, the Department of Employment and Labour says. Real employers don't charge for applications, training, uniforms or background checks.
- What does entry level mean?
- Little or no work experience needed. Each advert still sets its own requirements, such as Grade 12, a qualification or a driver's licence, so read them before you apply.
- How do I apply without experience?
- Show what you have done instead: school, studies, volunteering, part-time or informal work, and skills such as languages or computer literacy. Apply early: many adverts close once they have enough applicants.
- Where else can young people find work?
- SA Youth (sayouth.mobi) is free and zero-rated for people aged 18 to 34. ESSA, the Department of Employment and Labour's job seeker database, is free too.
Sources
- SA Youth (sayouth.mobi), run with Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
- Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA), Department of Employment and Labour
- Work seekers warned not to pay for employment (Department of Employment and Labour, 5 February 2024)
- Department of Employment and Labour warns job seekers against a scam learnership (labour.gov.za)
Rules and programmes change: confirm details in each advert and with the organisation that runs it.
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