Critical Skills

Before you think about financing a university education, do your homework. Have a clear idea of how your degree will improve your life – and be smart about what you choose to study. There are thousands of unemployed BCom graduates in South Africa, but the government is literally handing out visas to people from other countries because certain critical skills are impossible to find locally.

Want some ideas for what skills are desperately needed in our country, to guide your career choices? Take a look at the full immigration critical skills list.

It includes unglamorous but fascinating professions like forestry technicians, geologists and protein scientists.

There’s an alternative list here, suggested by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Job categories

There are 12 categories of jobs:

• Agriculture, Agricultural Operations and Related Sciences
• Architecture and the Built Environment
• Business, Economics and Management Studies
• Information Communication & Technology
• Engineering
• Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
• Life and Earth Sciences
• Professionals and Associate Professionals
• Trades
• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
• Academics and Researchers
• Post-Graduates

Full jobs list

Too lazy to go through the PDF? Here’s the full list.

• Agriculture, Agricultural Operations and Related Sciences
• Agricultural Engineer
• Agricultural Scientist
• Forestry Technician
• Sheep Shearer
• Architecture and the Built Environment
• Architect
• Construction Project Manager
• Land Surveyor
• Quantity Surveyor
• Urban and Regional Planner
• Business, Economics and Management Studies
• Actuaries and Risk Assessors
• Corporate General Manager
• External Auditor
• Financial Investment Advisor
• Information Communication & Technology
• CISCO Solution Specialist
• CISCO Engineers
• Solutions Architects in Telecommunications and ICT
• Integrated Developers (PHP, PERL, JAVA)
• Network Analyst
• IT Security Specialist
• System Integration Specialist
• Enterprise Architects
• Data Centre Operations
• Network Specialist (Security)
• Database Specialist
• Microsoft System Engineers
• Network Controllers
• AV Specialist (Anti-virus)
• Desktop Support Engineer
• Engineering
• Energy Engineer
• Metallurgical Engineer
• Chemical Engineer
• Civil Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Electrical Installation Inspector
• Electronics Engineer
• Geologist
• Industrial and Production Engineers
• Industrial Designer
• Manufacturing Managers
• Materials Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Mining Engineer
• Production/Operations Manager
• Quality System Manager
• Research and Development Manager
• Ship’s Engineer
• Telecommunications Engineers
• Electrical Engineering Technologist
• Energy Engineering Technologist
• Mechanical Engineering Technologist
• Metallurgical Engineering Technologist
• Mining Engineering Technologist
• Air Conditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber
• Automotive Electrician
• Automotive Motor Mechanic
• Boiler Maker
• Chemical Engineering Technologist
• Civil Engineering Technologist
• Diesel Mechanic
• Electronics Engineering Technologist
• Fitter and Turner
• Materials Engineering Technologist
• Mechatronics Technician
• Metal Fabricator
• Physical and Engineering Science Technicians
• Pressure Welder
• Structural Plaster
• Toolmaker
• Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
• Medical Superintendant/Public Health Manager
• Public Health Physician
• General and Specialist Medical Practitioner
• Hospital Pharmacist
• Nursing Professionals
• Veterinarian
• Registered Nurse (child and family health)
• Retail Pharmacist
• Life and Earth Sciences
• Environmental Engineers
• Environmental Manager
• Industrial Pharmacist
• Aquatic Scientist
• Animal Scientist
• Advanced Composites Engineering
• Archaeological/Paleontological Specialist
• Bioeconomist
• Biochemists
• Bioinformatician
• Bioinformaticist
• Biological Scientist
• Botanical Scientist
• Chemical Scientist
• Computational Biologist
• Environmental Scientist
• Ecological Scientist
• Food Scientist
• Engineering Geologist
• Geochemist
• Geohazards Specialist
• Geologist
• Geophycist
• Laboratory Technologist and Technician
• Marine Bioscientist
• Materials Scientist
• Metallurgical Scientist
• Metrology
• Microbiological Scientist
• Polymer Scientist
• Protein Scientist
• Seismologist
• Soil Scientist
• Toxicology Scientist
• Water Resource Scientist
• Professionals and Associate Professionals
• Land and Engineering Surveyors
• Electronic Engineering Technician
• Materials Engineering Technologist
• Electrical Engineering Technician
• Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Practitioner
• Draughtsperson
• Mechanical Engineering Technician
• Chemical Engineering Technician
• Organisation and Methods Analyst (Incl. scheduler, estimator)
• Surveying Technician
• Geomatics Technician
• Quantity Surveying Technician
• Civil Engineering Technician
• Materials Engineer Non-destructive Testing (NDT)
• Materials Engineering Technician – Road materials
• Materials Tester
• Construction Safety, Health, Environment an
• Quality (SHEQ) Agent/Manager/Officer
• Aeronautical Engineering
• Architectural Senior Technologist
• Architectural Draughtsperson
• Astronomer
• Physicist (SKA)
• Geomagnetic Physicist
• Solar Physicist
• Space Physicist
• Plasma Physicist
• Space Technologist
• Space Weather Specialist
• Magnetic Technology Specialist
• Radar Engineering
• Radio Frequency Engineering
• Environmental Technologist
• Industrial Engineer
• Industrial Engineering Technologist
• Industrial Engineering Technician
• Landscape Architect
• Landscape Contract Manager
• Landscape Horticulturist
• Mining Technician
• Trades
• Millwright
• Boilermaker (For Strategic Infrastructure Projects)
• Industrial Machinery Mechanic
• Pipe Fitter
• Double Coded Welder
• Rigger
• Moulder
• Raise-bore Operators
• Raise-bore Foreman
• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
• Software Development Engineers and Managers
• Systems Architects, Engineers and Managers
• Foreign Language speakers for specialist language support and technical or sales support (German, Swiss German, Flemish, Greek, Swedish, Danish, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and French)
• Business Analyst
• Quality Analyst
• Quality Assurance Specialist/Auditor
• Customer Service Manager/Team Lead
• Academics and Researchers
• Doctoral Graduates (Acquired Abroad)
• Research in any of the following areas;
• Galaxy Formation and Evolution
• Galaxy Structure and Dynamics
• Pulsars and Black Holes
• Pulsars and Black Holes
• Pulsars and Gravitational Waves
• Deep Observations of the earliest Radio Galaxies
• Dynamic and Transient Burst
• VLBI Operations
• Search for CO to investigate role of Molecular Hydrogen
• Deep Surveyors of Neutral Hydrogen Gas in the Early Universe
• Cosmology and Dark Energy
• Cosmic Magnetism
• Calibration and Imaging of Radio Interferometer data
• Pulsar Research
• Pulsar and Gravitational Waves
• VLBI Operations
• Signal Processing
• Observational Radio Astronomy in General
• Algorithm for Radio Astronomy
• Signal Processing for Radio Astronomy
• Supercomputing for Radio Astronomy
• Software Development for Radio Astronomy
• Data and Streaming- Real-Time Processing of Massive Data Amounts
• Green Computing- Extreme Performance at Minor Energy Cost
• Performance at Minor Energy Costs
• EMC and Spectrum Management
• Beam Modelling
• Antenna Modelling
• Feeds for Radio Astronomy Systems
• Receivers for Radio Astronomy Systems
• Signal Processing for Radio Astronomy
• High Speed Data Transport
• Nano-photonics-Data Transport Power
• Nanotechnology
• Palaeosciences
• Reduction over Short and Long Distances
• Antenna Design
• Antenna Foundation Design
• RFI Shielded Buildings and Facilities
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Space Science and Technology
• Global Change
• Energy Security
• Information Communication Technology
• Earth Observation
• Natural and Applied Sciences
• Post-Graduates
• Doctoral Graduates (Acquired in RSA)