Tech jobs rebound: Signs of recovery in 2025

The analysis is based on the latest job market data and shows that technology vacancies have increased by 18% year-on-year for the year up to end-October 2025. Vacancies increased 10% month-on-month from September to October 2025, signalling a clear and sustained uplift in the sector.

Software developer returned to the top of the list of the most demanding jobs in South Africa in October this year for the first time in three and a half years. From 2018 until March 2022, Software Developer was the most in-demand job role in South Africa every month. This changed as tech hiring weakened worldwide as the COVID-19 lockdowns came to an end.

Says Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet, South Africa’s leading online recruitment platform: “We are recording a notable shift in the market following several years of local and international headlines about large-scale layoffs across IT companies. The need for experienced and specialised Tech Professionals stabilised at a lower level for a while. Now, the latest job market data points to renewed growth in technology, spurred by cloud and AI adoption.”

Pnet’s analysis shows that not all tech roles are growing at the same pace. Several specialist roles saw a significant uptick in vacancy levels in 2025:

• Business analyst roles show the strongest growth in the tech space. Since January 2025, vacancies for business analysts have doubled, reflecting a 102% increase.
  
• Second on the list are data-focused roles, including data scientists, data analysts and data warehousing specialists. Vacancies for these professionals have increased by +48% since January 2025.
  
• In third place are Systems / Network Administrators. Since the start of 2025, vacancies for these infrastructure specialists have risen by +38%.
  
• Lastly, vacancies for Software Developers are up 34% overall since January 2025.

Top 10 tech jobs in the current job market

The following job roles stand out as the most in-demand tech positions today, highlighting where hiring activity is concentrated and where talent shortages are likely to persist.

1. Business analyst
Business analysts analyse processes, identify improvement opportunities and translate requirements into clear, actionable specifications for technical teams.

2. Data analyst
Data analysts interpret and transform raw data into insights that support decision-making across the organisation.

3. Data engineer
Data engineers design, build and maintain the data infrastructure that allows organisations to store, process and access large volumes of information.

4. Software developer
Software developers build, test and maintain applications that power business operations, customer experiences and digital products.

5. Full stack developer
Full stack developers work across both front-end and back-end systems, giving them the versatility to build complete applications from user interface to server logic.

6. Java developer
Java developers specialise in building robust, scalable software systems using the Java programming language.

7. Data scientist
Data scientists extract strategic insights from large, complex datasets using advanced analytics, machine learning and statistical modelling.

8. Project manager (IT)
IT project managers lead the planning, execution and delivery of technology projects.

9. C# developer
C# developers build applications using Microsoft’s .NET framework, often supporting financial systems, enterprise software and web-based solutions.

10. Scrum master
Scrum Masters facilitate agile ways of working, enabling teams to collaborate effectively and deliver incremental value.

Says Bates: “Demand for tech talent is rising again and our data shows recruiters where competition for scarce skills is set to intensify. Employers who move early to streamline hiring processes, strengthen their employer value proposition, and create attractive benefits and work conditions, will be best positioned to secure scarce talent as the sector continues to recover.

“For jobseekers, the data shows strong long-term career pathways in core and high-growth tech occupations. From Pnet’s perspective, the strengthening of tech hiring is an encouraging sign for the broader labour market, and an important indicator of growing investment in digital capability across industries.”