Evan Jones, Collective X

South Africans have become accustomed to bad news, particularly around the country’s dismal unemployment figures. It was around 32.9% in the first quarter of this year, up from 31.9% in Q4 2024, according to Stats SA. The picture is dire for those aged between 15 and 34, and in this segment, that figure is hovering around 46%. The number is around 60% for those between 25 and 24. There are also signs that more people of working age are losing hope that they’ll ever get a job, says Stats SA.

The Collective X non-profit reckons there are a total of around 317 400 IT jobs in South Africa, and a total of 118 500 vacancies, or 37.3%. Vacancies for juniors is at 41 500, or around 35% of jobs.