Working in Cape Town

New arrivals working in Cape Town often find the daily grind to be a considerable step back from the rat race they may be used to. To some, Capetonians seem to contend that there are too many other wonderful ways to be spending time. In fact, many of the people who have relocated here don't hang onto the ladder of ambition for too long, as they reprioritise their lives.

On the downside, employers are fully aware that the city's striking landscapes beckon qualified workers from South Africa and elsewhere to the metropolis. It follows that fewer job opportunities exist in the city and smaller salaries accompany the positions that do become available, especially when compared with the likes of Johannesburg. Generally, turnover is relatively low once people pin down a good job with a respectable company.

Job market in Cape Town

The media and advertising industry, the IT sector, and asset management businesses are well represented, and many expats working in Cape Town are employed in one of these industries. The city is also a bastion of creativity, and there are plenty of opportunities for young people to expand their artistic abilities while embarking on a creative career –those with a focused entrepreneurial spirit often find success.

Cape Town's stunning natural scenery, favourable weather patterns and the relatively low costs of local labour have also made the city an international destination for the film industry. That said, opportunities in this sector are subject to drastic seasonal changes.

Tourism and hospitality services are also thriving industries, and many expats from abroad find employment in positions where knowledge of a second language apart from English is necessary.

Finding a job in Cape Town

In some ways, the city still operates like a small village. Positions in Cape Town are frequently found and extended through personal recommendations or word of mouth. Expats who have not been lured abroad with a solid employment opportunity should invest time and energy into networking and creating meaningful connections.

The traditional routes of job hunting also exist and, for expats with the proper documentation, a tertiary degree and relevant work experience, finding employment is very much possible, although it may take some time.

Major local newspapers tend to publish an employment supplement with job listings once a week, and several popular websites are regularly updated as positions open up in a variety of fields. The city also has recruitment agencies and headhunters, and employers generally shoulder the fee for their services.

Foreign nationals will, however, need a work permit to be legally employed. You should be prepared for the bureaucracy involved in securing a work permit for South Africa.

See Work Permits for Cape Town for more on legally working in South Africa. 

Useful links

• LinkedIn
• Indeed
• Careers24

Work culture in Cape Town

South Africa's work culture is informal, with humour and friendly banter commonly heard around the office. The dress code is typically quite relaxed, especially in creative industries. Relatively few companies require their employees to wear formal business clothes in the office, except in some corporate settings.

Most companies in Cape Town operate on a relatively flat hierarchical structure. Employees are largely encouraged to voice their views and opinions. That said, the boss still ultimately has the final say in important decisions.