Brief

Pnet reports average South African job search now 15 months, with sector variation

The report, based on 2.8 million records, highlights how sector, occupation and seniority affect search length.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 02 Oct 2026 17:02:47 GMT

Pnet, South Africa’s leading online recruitment platform, released its September 2026 Job Market Trends Report, finding that the average time from the start of an active job search to a new role is about 15 months.

What happened

The analysis draws on 2.8 million employment records for people who began new jobs between 2022 and 2025. The average search length fell from 17 months in 2023 to 14 months in 2025, settling at roughly 15 months in the latest period. The report notes that timelines differ sharply by sector, occupation, qualification level and experience.

What the report adds

Sales positions emerge as the quickest to fill, averaging 13 months over the past four years and dropping to nine months in 2025. Building and construction, marketing, maintenance and repair, and admin‑office support also sit below the 15‑month benchmark. By contrast, finance, engineering and business‑management roles typically require 16 months or more. Highly specialised occupations – such as financial portfolio managers, risk managers, business‑solution architects, senior IT analysts, and specialised engineers – average around 20 months.

What was said

"Highly specialised and senior roles often take longer to secure because there are fewer suitable positions, recruitment processes involve more assessment and interview stages, and appointments may require sign‑off from multiple stakeholders," Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet, told bizcommunity.com.

How it came about

The report builds on Pnet’s ongoing monitoring of South African labour trends, extending earlier analyses that tracked job‑search durations across sectors. By comparing data from 2022‑2025, the platform highlights how market demand, qualification requirements and the scarcity of niche vacancies shape the length of a job hunt.

Key facts

Average South African job search now takes about 15 months, per Pnet's September 2026 report. (bizcommunity.com)
Sales roles fell to a nine‑month average in 2025, the fastest sector in the report. (bizcommunity.com)
Highly specialised occupations such as portfolio managers and risk managers average roughly 20 months to secure a new role. (bizcommunity.com)
The analysis covers 2.8 million employment records from 2022‑2025. (bizcommunity.com)