Good news: Jobs and Salaries in South Africa Set to Rise?
With various issues in South Africa already rocking the employment boat in 2018, one has to wonder what lies in store for those seeking work. Matric pass rates, rumours of free university education for all and various listed companies performing poorly all impact the employment rate in the country.
Yet still, the number of vacancies seems to show an increase, while the average salary in South Africa is trending upwards. Partly, with the increase in the cost of goods and services, employees may be demanding higher salaries, with firms having little choice but to comply. But the demand for skills also seems higher than ever, with some companies even looking abroad for certain talent that they find hard to locate within South Africa’s borders.
Job aggregator and recruitment advertiser Adzuna.co.za found that over 2017, the amount of unique job listings across all recruitment-related websites in SA grew over 19% to almost 150,000, while salaries correspondingly increased to an average of just over R350,000 per annum. It is necessary to mention that while these online job listings represent a larger proportion of white collar jobs, BankServ’s overall survey showed the same trends.
Average salaries are increasing, even for jobs that aren’t advertised online.
Companies are thus searching for more skills and also finding more methods of doing so. Online searches have reached meteoric heights across all income groups, with the advent of smartphones and cheaper, better access to the Internet. Pricing varies with online job boards charging from R330 per monthly advert up to just over R1,000 for more niche ad placements.
Advertisers of vacancies are also learning how to place better adverts: not just copying job descriptions, adding salary or a salary range to job ads and communicating a compelling reason for joining their team.
Elzette Fourie, who runs a recruitment marketing consultancy, stresses the need for companies to invest in standing out in 2018. Fourie explains: “Never cut corners on Employer Branding, because your people make the brand. Paint a public picture of your company and get an interest pool ready before even putting out a job.”
With more jobs and higher salaries being offered in 2018, job seekers are set to have a better year. It is up to companies to figure out how to find the best talent for their vacancies.
Jesse Green <jesse@adzuna.com>