What Type of Job Can You Get With a Grade 8 in South Africa

Job hunting in South Africa is already a hustle on its own, trying to penetrate the South African competitive job market  without qualifications can be more difficult. Most jobs you can find with Grade 8 education in South Africa are mostly entry level or unskilled positions. With a well written CV showcasing your skills you might land a job which may require additional on the job training. While waiting for a stable job to come your way, you can do part time or volunteer work to increase your experience. The following are some of the jobs that may be accessible with a Grade 8 education;

Retail and Hospitality

• Retail Assistant: This type of job does not need any qualification to start, your regular duties will be working as an assistant in the store, helping with assisting customers, stocking shelves and organizing products. A short training on the first week may be provided to get the robes of what you will be working with.
• Waiter/Waitress: The job requires on the job training for first times where your roles will be serving customers with food and drinks at either restaurants, cafes and hotels
• Cleaner: There are cleaners needed everywhere to uphold the standard of cleanliness and hygiene. You can be hired with just a Grade 8 education, as long as you have great cleaning skills and are an organized person.  You can work in homes. Offices, shopping malls, hospitals, hotels, restaurants etc

General Labor

• Construction worker: You can work as a construction worker with a Grade 8 education in South Africa, assisting with manual labor roles like carrying materials, mixing cement and cleaning up sites.
• Farm Worker: It is easy to get a job in Farms on agricultural oriented places where you will be helping with planting, harvesting, tending to animals and maintaining crops. The job does not require much training, you just have to follow what you are being shown
• Factory/Warehouse Worker: These kinds of jobs do not need qualifications as long as you are active since you will be helping with packaging, loading/unloading goods. In some cases you may be required to operate simple machinery that you can learn to do on the job.

Security and Maintenance

• Security Guard: One of the most popular jobs in South Africa that you can get with a Grade 8 education but you will need to follow through with the following steps to get the proper job ;

1. Complete a recognized security training course, such as the Security Officers’ Grade E or D courses. 
2. Advance your knowledge and people skills with a Safety and Security Management course. 
3. Obtain the necessary licenses and registrations from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA).

• Gardener or Groundskeeper: Working as a gardener requires little to no experience, you can work in people’s yards, businesses that need their landscaping maintained or public places like managed parks.

Domestic Work

• Domestic worker: If you have strong cleaning and organizational skills, you can work as a helper/ housekeeper/ maid in private homes assisting with cooking, cleaning and childcare services. This is one of the jobs that are easily accessible with a grade 8 education in South Africa. One of the requirements that comes with the job is that a domestic worker must be registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). The employer might also need a criminal clearance record since they will be letting you into their home.
• Caregiver: You can get hired with a Grade 8 education as a caregiver in South Africa as long as you possess a certificate that indicates that you received home-based training from an institution that is accredited by the South African Qualification Authority. A caregiver helps the elderly and disabled individuals with cleaning, meal prepping and personal care on a daily basis.

Informal Sector and Entrepreneurship

• Street vendor; you can choose to employ yourself and start your own little business selling food, clothes, household items at the market, taxi rank, mall and on the street. You can also sell your  items and services on social media platforms like marketplace, facebook stories and opening a social media page.
• Taxi/Delivery Assistant: You can get a job in South Africa with your Grade 8 education doing tasks like assisting taxi drivers or help delivering parcels, transporting goods or passengers. You will need a driving license and a permit to be able to transport goods or passengers.
• Recycling Collector: Employ yourself by collecting materials that can be recycled for reselling, items like bottles, cans or scrap metals.

Apprenticeship and On the Job training

• Some industries may offer  an arrangement in which someone learns a job or hands-on training experience. You can learn trades such as plumbing, welding, carpentry while getting paid for the work you do. In some companies, to get an apprenticeship job in South Africa, you need to have at least a qualification of Grade 9 or N2 certificate in the specific art/trade you want to pursue. An apprenticeship agreement can run from 18 to 36 months.

It’s important to not limit yourself to your Grade 8 qualification when finding a job in South Africa, look for other ways to improve yourself like doing short courses and pursuing technical and vocational training (TVET) to increase your chances of getting a job faster and widening your job search.