South Africa’s sluggish economic growth has made the job market increasingly competitive, particularly for young job seekers. Experts advise job candidates to go beyond listing qualifications and place greater emphasis on soft skills in their resumes. According to the latest data from Stats SA, unemployment remains highest among youth, with 58,5% of 15-24-year-olds and 38,4% of 25-34-year-olds out of work.
“The higher number of graduates in the country has pushed companies to look for more than a degree,” said Tebogo Chaka, Design Thinking Programme lead at the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika at the University of Cape Town “Adaptability, curiosity, and problem-solving skills are increasingly in demand — skills the traditional university model isn’t equipping students with quickly enough.” For the class of 2025 and other job seekers, Chaka is recommending highlighting teamwork, community involvement, and other soft skills throughout the applicant’s CV. “We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how organisations define talent,” she said. She said this shift is reflected in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, which outlines a global change in employer priorities.
Creative and analytical thinking now top the list of in-demand skills, followed by resilience, flexibility, curiosity, and a commitment to lifelong learning. “With almost 40% of job-related skills expected to change by 2030, employers are focusing less on degrees and more on how people approach complex, ambiguous problems,” Chaka said. Job seekers can align themselves with these demands by providing real-world examples of how they’ve contributed to projects or organisations.
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