Despite the ongoing energy crisis, South Africa has created some opportunities for those businesses and individuals with the right skills sets, product and service offerings, which should contribute to an increase in job opportunities in this sector in the third quarter of this year.

Multinational human resource consulting firm ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey for the third quarter of 2015 found that opportunities for job seekers in South Africa were expected to be strongest in the electricity, gas and water supply and the transport, storage and communications sectors, while the weakest would be in the country’s mining and quarrying sector.

“The expected employment gains in the electricity, gas and water supply sector are possibly owing to government’s increased efforts to supply those in rural areas with basic housing, electricity and access to clean water,” Manpower South Africa MD Lyndy van den Barselaar explained.

South African employers also reported conservative hiring intentions for the July to September period, with 11% of employers expecting to increase staffing levels, 5% anticipating a decrease and 81% forecasting no change.

Adjusted to allow for seasonal variation, the outlook stood at 8%.

The survey also found that hiring prospects were two percentage points weaker compared with the second quarter of the year and five percentage points compared with the third quarter of 2014.

PROVINCIAL COMPARISONS
Provincially, employers in the Western Cape reported the strongest hiring intentions for the third quarter of the year, while employers in the Free State reported the weakest hiring intentions.

Employers in four of the five provinces surveyed expected to increase staffing levels during the third quarter. The strongest labour market was anticipated in the Western Cape, where the net employment outlook stood at 16%.

Elsewhere, some hiring opportunities were forecast by employers in both Gauteng and Eastern Cape, with outlooks of 8% and 7%, respectively, while the outlook for KwaZulu-Natal stood at 4%.

Meanwhile, Free State employers reported subdued hiring intentions with an outlook of -1%.

“The Western Cape provincial government continues to promote employment growth in the province through its initiatives and projects. The province’s economy is dominated by the City of Cape Town, which is not only one of South Africa’s top tourist destinations but also an increasingly popular choice for foreign investment as South Africa is seen as a stepping stone into Africa,” Van den Barselaar said.