employmentlatest news & developments
Graphic: John McCann/M&G

That cough syrup may get you fired

Taking medication for flu could breach companies’ no-alcohol in the workplace policies

AI is not a side issue; it is an economic governance challenge that will determine who captures value, who holds power, and whose interests technology ultimately serves for decades to come. (Science Photo Library/ Sergi Laremenko)

AI Armageddon is coming. Why aren’t we panicking?

Artificial intelligence will replace most jobs and create few. The future is bleak – except for the rich

Labour laws fall short in the fourth industrial revolution. Graphic: John McCann/M&G

Reimagining employment in the age of the fourth industrial revolution

Once jobs were clearcut relationships between employer and employee, but in the gig economy labour laws often fall short

A university that teaches but does not innovate, that researches but does not apply, will find itself detached from the society it is meant to serve and elevate

SA’s universities must move beyond didactic and research paradigms to advancing society

A university that teaches but does not innovate, that researches but does not apply, will find itself detached from the society it is meant to serve and elevate

Creating a school-to-work pipeline through partnerships between education institutions and business, backed by policy, can boost employment.

Harness the potential of the continent’s demographic dividend

Partnerships between education institutions and the private sector, with the backing of policymakers need to develop a strong school-to-work pipeline.

One in 10 women suffers from endometriosis, but workplaces seldom recognise this debilitating condition. Photo: Pexels/Anna Shvets

Workplaces must wake up to the harmful invisibility of endometriosis

Employers, work policies and labour law do not accommodate this health issue, which results in women missing promotions, getting unfair performance reviews or losing their jobs

The market requires entrepreneurialism, innovation, critical thinking, decisiveness and problem-solving abilities, but most schools and tertiary institutions don’t support this. Photo: AFP

New world of work requires new minds

Activity-based and experiential learning should be encouraged at school and tertiary institutions so that the academic curricula must align with new realities.

Much of the US workforce is employed in export-driven industries such as vehicle manufacturing that thrive on open markets.

US protectionist turn: Why Trump’s trade policies will backfire

American consumers and workers will feel the pain induced by the tariffs imposed on countries around the world

A record 98.31% of Grade 12 learners passed the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations administered by the Independent Examinations Board

‘Good’ matric results do not tell the whole picture of SA education

While education authorities celebrate the 87.3% pass rate for 2024, only 50% of pupils made it from grade 1 to grade 12. And young people also struggle to get jobs regardless of whether they matriculate or not.

South African farmers are already exporting macadamia nuts to China. Photo: Supplied

Employment prospects in SA agriculture look promising

Improvements in the livestock and horticulture sectors may have boosted job prospects in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivers the 2025 Budget. Photo: Jeffrey Abrahams/Gallo Images

Mid-term budget: Godongwana introduces early retirement plan

An amount of R11 billion will be set aside to allow people early exit from public service

Unemployed men inJohannesburg wait on a street corner for work for part-time work. Photo: Naashon Zalk/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Unemployment in South Africa is a national crisis, say analysts

With joblessness at a two-year high of 33.5%, more effort is needed to restructure the jobs market

On the up: Unemployment increased to 33.5% in the last quarter. ​​​​(Dino Lloyd/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

Unemployment rises to 33.5% in the second quarter

Joblessness increased for the third consecutive quarter, reaching its highest level in two years

The continent will make significant gains by fast-tracking the aviation sector. (Photo by Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Aviation can give wings to Africa’s economy

The continent will make significant gains by fast-tracking this sector through investment and skills development

Vocational education at schools, colleges and training centres, coupled with apprenticeships can improve the school-to-work transition and reduce the high unemployment rate. (Getty Images)

Vocational training can help solve many of Africa’s problems

Vocational education at schools, colleges and training centres, coupled with apprenticeships can improve the school-to-work transition and reduce the high unemployment rate

Bawowethu Jonas: ‘Education is expensive. Education now is like buying water, buying bread and buying eggs’

30 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY: Thirty and thriving, or barely surviving?

Tracking the progress of South Africa’s 30-year-olds as they navigate education, work, anxiety and hope

Labour: Andrew Chunga and a friend are among many Malawians working in Israel after Israelis were recruited into the army. Photo: Andrew Chunga

Israel is recruiting Malawian workers

The Middle Eastern country needs its workers to stay in the army, but it also needs to keep its economy going