Five High paying South African jobs that don’t need a degree

You don’t necessarily need a university degree to earn a good salary.In South Africa a university education is unfortunately unaffordable for many, hence the FeesMustFall movement that started in 2015 and gained momentum in 2016.
According to this Parent24 article, just the first year of study for an average BCom Accounting student could cost up to R112 080 – which is a lot of money – especially when you consider that 47% of currently employed South Africans earn below the new proposed minimum wage.
This means that many parents simply cannot afford to send their children to university even with a bursary, since there is just no money. Often they would need them to enter the workforce immediately to help put food on 
Thanks to the folks over at Adzuna – a job aggregator site that lists all the SA jobs online and in one place, making it easier for job sefind the right role – we found these six high earning jobs that you can do without a university degree:
Developers, especially Java, C#, iOS, Android, and PHP:
Demand for good developers is high and salaries are good. And you don’t need a degree. In fact, while a diploma will come in handy, you can learn online or teach yourself. Salaries for experienced and talented developers hit R1,2M per year. 
Digital marketing positions:
With a certificate from a digital training college, a good head on your shoulders and the right personality, you could get your foot in the door at a digital marketing company. With experience you could earn up to R720,000 per annum.
Flight attendant:
You could be earning the big bucks if you work for top airlines like Emirates (although this requires relocation to the Middle East), since the money earned is in dollars and not taxed, but if you’re looking to stay in SA, you can still earn up to R420 000 a year. To become a flight attendant, you can do a short course at places like Damelin.
READ MORE: 5 common job interview questions and how to answer them like a boss
Waitress:
If you work in the right restaurant (busy and expensive) and you’re prepared to do in-house training and work 60 to 70 hours per week, you could bring in around R30 000 – R40 000 per month in salary plus tips.
Real estate agent:
According to Realty Professionals, you could make anything from R100 000 – R500 000 per annum. To become a qualified estate agent you would need to start as an “intern agent” at any real estate agency under the supervision of a qualified agent or principal for a full 12 months during which time you are required to keep a logbook. Once your 12 months have been completed you will be allowed to complete the NQF 4 course which you can do online.
These “softer” jobs are great, but do not forget that you could make a lucrative career in one of the trades like construction, plumbing or as an electrician. According to plumbingschool.co.za, you start out as an apprentice after you’ve studied your trade and then work your way up. There’s also a shortage of plumbers abroad and you could make up to R30 000 – R60 000 per month in countries like England and Australia.
There are many opportunities for a career that doesn’t need a university degree. All you have to do is do the right research and find something you won’t regret choosing when you wake up in the morning.
Do you have a job that didn’t need a university degree? Tell us about it.
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This is what our readers had to say:
“Bank clerk for starter. Many people are growing within the bank and some are getting barsaries within this institutions. I e Standard bank will fund you if you perform”- Kabelo
“I have been in the dairy industry, specifically the Long Life division, since 1990. I joined as an artisan ( I am an electronics and electrical artisan). I started out as a UHT (Ultra High Temperature) technician, and over the years I have moved through the ranks via training and courses.
“I am now 50yrs old, have been working at a dairy in Botswana, and earn about R120k per month, depending on the Zar/Bwp exchange rate.
“While no degree is required, you need to be an artisan with keen understanding of electricity in 400V 3 phase, 230V single phase, 24V dc, plc’s and have an excellent understanding of milk rheology, since as an expat, you are expected to be a One-Stop-Shop. We earn well because we sacrifice family time and often our sanity” – Scharl
“Live-work,live maintenance on Eskom’s high voltage network.A gloving member gets up to R17 000 while person in charge gets R25 000 and stick and bare hand is double,all you need is to attend a six week training” – Maholanyane
“I’m 27 this year and I have been working full time since I was 16. My mom, being a single mom, couldn’t afford for both me and my brother to finish school. My brother was in Grade 12 the year I left school completing my grade 10.
“I found a job at the family friend’s business and started off from the bottom. I was a receptionist for a year, moved to sales and admin a year later and was also given the PA to CEO title, then I worked for a total of 4 years at the manufacturing environment until I was head-hunted by another manufacturer.

 

“I moved over to my second job in 2009. The next year, I became a buyer for the company. Luckily for me, the hard working came with rewards and my salary increased by 20% every year. I worked at this job until 2014 until I was recruited by a solar company seeking to start their operation in SA.

 

“Long story short, my brother who had stayed in school is only finishing his studies this year and starts his minimum pay internship – I’m now married, have bought a house and a decent car.” – Rebecca
“Motor Sales Executives. Apart from having great company benefits, the earning potential is huge and not capped at all. Your working hours can be flexible too.” – Jean
“A good career to keep in mind is in the mining industry. There are numerous opportunities available to young women (or men) in both the mining and engineering disciplines. The positions are well paying with people earning upwards of R40,000.00 a month and mid management in the region of R80,000.00 a month” – Barry
“Recruitment consultant” – Emily
“I was a design draughtsman at a large engineering company In South Africa, specialising in design of Large EPCM Projects (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Management). Draughtsmen/designers in this field earn between R350 and R500 an hour.. in the UK its between £25 and £35 an hour.”- Chris
“My job did not need a degree, it took hard work and dedication to be a qualified refrigeration mechanic, and it is a job that few people know about.” – Calvin
“Croupier: You undergo a two months intensive training and if you are good in intuitive, fast calculations, you qualify as a croupier, earning an entry level salary of R20000, and as you move up the ladder of promotion, you can ultimately become a tables manager with an average salary of R120 000.00 per month.” – Jimmy
“I obtained an N3 certificate in electrical engineering and l was employed as an apprentice electrician for two and half years. At the end of my apprenticeship, I did my trade test and became a qualified electrician. I did all of this as an employee of Ethekwini Municipality. I am now earning a basic salary of R21 660 per month with +- 60hrs overtime because there is always a 

shortage of electricians. There is also a scarce skills allowance of close to R3000 on top of your basic salary.” – Grace
“Straight out of matric went into Insurance as a Sales Consultant in a call center. You basically assist clients that already went on the website or clients that phone in. You do the quote and sell the policy. Earn about R6000 basic and 50% of what you sold during the month. Average of about R20000 to R40000 a 

  

 

Economic Growth in Africa is not translating to more jobs

Economic growth in Africa is expected to accelerate to 4.7% this year and 5% in 2015, but the advance is failing to translate into job creation and the broad-based development needed to reduce high poverty and rising inequality rates in many countries, the UN has said.

Although its world economic situation and prospects 2014 report is generally upbeat about the continent, it warns that a global economic slowdown is likely to have a significant negative impact on Africa’s performance. And like the World Bank, the UN is worried about the risks associated with a possible bumpy exit from quantitative easing programmes by the US Federal Reserve that have pumped money into the global economy.

“Our forecast is made in the context of many uncertainties and risks coming from possible missteps as well as non-economic factors that could stymie growth,” Shamshad Akhtar, UN assistant secretary for economic development, said.

The main worry is that a tapering or phasing out of quantitative easing could lead to a global surge in long-term interest rates, a fall in stock markets and a sharp decline in capital inflows to emerging economies. “These first-round shocks in international financial markets could transmit quickly to developed and developing economies,” the UN warned.

West Africa should continue to enjoy the strongest growth on the continent, with an anticipated increase from 6.7% in 2013 to 6.9% this year. The region will continue to attract investment in oil and minerals, especially in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

East Africa is also expected to experience robust growth, increasing from 6% last year to 6.4% in 2014. Growth will benefit from increased consumer spending in Kenya, higher consumption and investment in natural gas in Tanzania, a rise in activity in construction, transport, telecommunications, as well as exploration and construction in the burgeoning oil industry in Uganda.

Ethiopia will remain a strong performer, but GDP growth is expected to dip this year, from 6.9% in 2013 to 6.5%.

In the south of the continent, growth is projected to increase from 3.6% to 4.2%, mainly because of declining labour unrest, increased investments and rising mineral outputs in South Africa. Foreign investment is likely to rise owing to huge coal deposits and offshore gas discoveries in Mozambique and increased oil output in Angola. Foreign investors are likely to be attracted to Zambia’s copper sector and uranium mining in Namibia.

Economic growth will be weakest in north Africa, a region racked by political instability, particularly in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Growth in the region is expected to rise from 2.3% in 2013 to 3.3%; central Africa’s growth is predicted to accelerate to 4.8% in 2014 from 2.4%.

The report notes that Africa’s recent growth has been driven by commodity production and exports, but remains far below the continent’s potential. Meaningful job creation is weak and growth is not tackling high poverty and rising inequality in many countries.

“The informal sector is still large and opportunities remain limited for many seeking to enter the labour market, as seen by high youth unemployment rates and wide gender disparities in earnings,” the report adds. “Continual pressure on labour markets from a steady stream of new entrants due to population growth has meant that even solid GDP growth rates have not been sufficient to make measurable impacts.”

The UN attributes weak job creation to a heavy dependence on minerals and agriculture, but says growth in other sectors such as telecommunications, financial services, transport and construction in countries such as Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria is helping to improve the situation.

Political unrest continues to pose a significant threat to economic activity in several countries including Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Sudan. Meanwhile, the reliance on agriculture leaves many countries prone to weather-related shocks.

source: the guardian