South Africa Sees Renewed Growth in Remote Jobs as Flexibility Gains Ground Across Sectors

Data from Pnet, South Africa’s leading online recruitment platform, indicates that just 3.6% of all advertised vacancies are listed as remote or hybrid remote roles. Remote opportunities are increasing in admin, office and support, business and management, and finance roles. However, certain IT positions have seen a decline in remote vacancies

Says Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet: “2023 and 2024 were the years of the great return to the office, following the shift to remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Remote jobs became scarcer and were often reserved for the most in-demand specialists, particularly software developers and other IT professionals.

“We are now seeing signs that more employers are offering flexible work options across a wider range of roles. Remote opportunities are gradually expanding beyond IT into other office roles. Employers recognise that flexibility is highly valued by professionals and can be a powerful lever for attracting and retaining top talent.”

Top remote job roles

The list of remote job roles currently in highest demand illustrates that remote opportunities are becoming more diverse. This is the top 10 by percentage of roles advertised as remote or hybrid jobs.

• Software developer – 13%
• Personal assistant – 12%
• Data analyst – 12%
• Customer support agent – 11%
• Business analyst – 9%
• Business developer – 8%
• Systems or network administrator – 8%
• Sales representatives and consultants – 3%
• Middle or department manager – 2%
• Accountant – 2%

Business and management roles, particularly managerial positions, are seeing more remote employment options. Admin and finance functions – including Accountants, admin clerks, cookkeepers, personal assistants, and customer support – are also showing strong growth in remote vacancies.

In the IT sector, the picture is more mixed. Demand for specialist IT professionals in business/technical architecture and systems analysis is driving an increase in remote opportunities. However, in line with challenges in the global IT job market, remote opportunities for systems and network admins, project managers and software developers have declined.

Bates says: “Even with the absolute decline in remote vacancies for some IT roles, technology still leads in flexible work opportunities. But we are also seeing opportunities steadily expanding into other functions, creating more flexibility for professionals from diverse backgrounds. Employers are increasingly using remote work as a valued benefit and a strategic tool to attract hard-to-find talent, while also widening their reach to a larger talent pool.”