Jobs in Cape Town

What Jobs are there in Cape Town?

The High-growth sectors in the Western Cape include:

• Information Technology (IT)
• Communication Technology
• Banking and Finance 
• Insurance
• Civil and Construction
• Jobs in Furniture
• Design
• Marine Jobs
• Medical
• Civil Engineering Jobs in Cape Town

The financial and business service sector is the largest in Cape Town.  “As a sophisticated financial and business centre, Cape Town provides the ideal entry to the financial and business markets of the rest of Africa,” according to Wesgro, Cape Town and Western Cape Tourism Trade and Investment.

Cape Town, Western Cape, is one of the world’s fastest growing regions for foreign investment, says a report from fDi Intelligence, which is creating many jobs in finance.

In terms of financial services, the head office of Allan Gray, Coronation Fund Managers, Sekunjalo Investments and Sanlam are based in Cape Town. 

Finance is followed by manufacturing and foreign trade. Jobs in IT, call centre, and the fashion design industry are growing exponentially.

As the University of Cape Town has a reputation of producing some of the best IT talent in the country this could account for part of the reason the technology startup scene and industry is so strong in Cape Town.

The technology Head Office of Naspers, the most famous technology company in South Africa is based in Cape Town with some of their investment companies such as Takealot.com and Media24. 

Some well known technology companies with head offices in Cape Town are Travelstart, bet.co.za and MWEB. With the growing tech hub in the area, finding jobs in IT can be a great start to your career or a boost in your career.

Other international tech companies who have invested in Cape Town are:

• Knife Fund III is a new fund managed by Cape Town-based Venture Capital firm Knife Capital. 
• Swiss investment company Crypto Valley Venture Capital set up its first African office in Cape Town to invest in Blockchain-focused African startups. . 
• and games publisher Carry1st’s $20 million Series A.

The Amazon Cloud Service known as AWS was developed in Cape Town and this is one of the most profitable divisions of the Amazon business. Amazon has announced it will be launching amazon.co.za in 2024 in South Africa.

Many more companies based in Silicon Valley are now opening offices in Cape Town turning Cape Town into even a more thriving hotspot for developers and IT specialists so if you are a software developer or engineer one would have no problem finding a job in the city of Cape Town.

But what is more interesting, is that even though Johannesburg is home to more than 70% of South African companies, the startup scene in JHB is only worth $962 million compared to Cape Town, which is worth $2.8 billion according to Startup Genome. 

A flourishing industry is filmmaking. Cape Town Film Studios is widely acknowledged as one of the Top Ten film studio complexes in the world and is creating many jobs in Cape Town.

Some of the largest FMCG groups in South Africa, such as Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Checkers have their head office in Cape Town, again offering jobs in retail.

Gauteng is South Africa's powerhouse, accounting for 34% of GDP while Western Cape comes in at number 3.  As for quality of life, Cape Town is still the preferable place for most people to live and work, people are continuously flocking to this beautiful city.

Why is Cape Town Ranked as such a Great City?

Listed 2nd on the list of 50 Best Cities for 2024 cements the city as an essential visit to any person's bucket-list for travelers.

The Mother City is praised for its beauty, vibrant culture scene, tourist attractions and more.

Exciting attractions such as:

👉Robben Island

👉District Six Museum

👉the picturesque, and colourful homes in Bo-Kaap

👉Table Mountain

👉V&A Waterfront

👉Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

The area offers excursions like: 

👉Eagle Encounters

👉Drakenstein Lion Park

👉Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens

👉The Giraffe House

👉Strawberry Safari

👉Balloon Rides

👉Hillcrest Berry Orchards

👉An African Cooking Safari

👉Numerous Galleries, Theatres and even Glass Art.  

These exciting venues sit alongside the areas natural beauty: 

👉Mountains

👉Canyons Ravnes

👉Kloofing

👉Game reserves

👉Nature reserves

👉Blue flag beaches 

👉and stunning coasts

The award winning winelands include: 

👉Wine Valley Horse Trails

👉Franschhoek Mountain Bike Tours

👉Stellenbosch Scootours

👉Winelands Sunset Drive

👉Winery Farmers Market

👉The ‘Chocolate Experience’

👉Packet wine lunch picnics

👉Champagne Estates

👉Walking Wine Tours, to name a few.

What is There to do in Cape Town?

When one has completed a hard day's work, you will find there is never a shortage of activities to keep busy. 

Luckily, there is no need to travel far to enjoy amasing hikes, beautiful beaches and seascapes and the City is surrounded by mountains, nature reserves. All less than 15 minutes away from your front door if you are staying in the city centre or close by.

The City is also renowned for having some of the best restaurants in the world 

If that is not enough, there are wine farms spread all over the Cape if one needs some time out to spend a day tasting some of the best ones in the world while being spoiled with lavish platters of food.

Some of the most famous hiking spots in Cape Town are Lions Head, Newlands Forest, Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch, Cape Point and Chapmans Peak, not to mention a number of various routes to get to the top of the famous Table Mountain.

Then if one decides to spend a day on the beach, once again the choices will be endless. There are 8 famous blue flag beaches in and around Cape Town such as Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, Muizenburg and Fischoek or one of the dozens of beaches along the warmer Indian Ocean coast.   

One could then go on from there to explore Cape Point or alternatively do a complete turn around and head towards Gordons Bay passing more beautiful beaches and experiences along the way.

When it comes to wine tasting once again there is no shortage of choices.  Depending on how far you want to go, there are wine farms as close as 15 minutes from the City Centre.

The following areas have some of the best wine estates to visit:

👉Stellenbosch

👉Franschhoek

👉Somerset West

👉Constantia

👉and Durbanville.  

And for the more adventurous and sportier, the famous Bloubergstrand is worth a visit. This is a world-renowned beach for kite surfers.

Along with kite surfing, there is dune quad biking, surfing, swimming, surfing lessons, microliting, SANCCOB penguin rescue and fishing.

There will never be a dull moment for those who choose to work and live in Cape Town.

What is it Really like Working and Living in Cape Town?

Everyday life in Cape Town can feel very European with old Victorian houses, party streets, and long seaside promenades where you'll find people enjoying the outdoors by running, cycling, or walking their dogs.

For city living this amasing city offers the perfect introductory city to the African continent.

Where to Live in Cape Town

Cape Town is a city with lots of mountains, lots of people and lots of traffic so deciding on the best place to stay while living there will be a balancing act between affordability, proximity to schools, work and activities most enjoyed. 

Also deciding on the kind of living one prefers such as being in a city compared to suburban feel or mountains versus seascape, fortunately in Cape Town one can easily be spoiled with both at the same time.

The popular Atlantic Seaboard runs from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront all the way to Hout Bay. These include:

👉Bakoven

👉Bantry Bay

👉Camps Bay

👉Cape Point

👉Clifton

👉Fresnaye

👉Granger Bay

👉Green Point

👉Hout Bay

👉Kommetjie

👉Llandudno

👉Misty Cliffs

👉Mouille Point

👉Noordhoek

👉Oudekraal

👉Scarborough

👉Sea Point an

👉Three Anchor Bay.

.

The Northern Suburbs includes the areas of:

👉Tyger Valley

👉Bellville CBD

👉Durbanville

👉N1 City

👉Plattekloof

👉Parow

👉Goodwood

👉Epping

👉Elsies River

👉Airport

👉and Beaconvale.

The Southern Suburbs are:

👉Observatory

👉Mowbray

👉Pinelands

👉ThorntonRosebank

👉Rondebosch

👉Rondebosch East

👉Newlands

👉Claremont

👉Lansdowne

👉Kenilworth

👉Bishopscourt

👉Constantia

👉Wynberg

👉Ottery

👉Plumstead

👉Diep River

👉Bergvliet and Tokai.

City Bowl Region lies between Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront. This includes areas such as:

👉Bo-Kaap

👉Gardens

👉Higgovale and Woodstock to name just a few.

👉Eastern Suburbs include areas such as:

👉Gordons Bay

👉Somerset West

👉Strand

👉and Sir Lowry’s Pass Village.

Western Suburbs include areas such as:

👉Bloubergstrand

👉Milnerton,

👉Table View

👉and West Beach. 

Each one of these regions have their own special characteristics and each region is so large that each place within the region will be completely different.

If you are working in some extremely well paid job in Cape Town and you would like to be in the heart of where everything happens, one of the areas below will be the perfect place to live.

Bishopscourt could also be an excellent choice where you will be surrounded by incredible mountains and forests even if there is no seascape directly in site.

Muizenburg has its own charm and beauty with much lower property prices but if you work in the city centre expect to wake up early to miss the traffic on the way to work.

No-one has ever complained about the beauty of living in Blouberg either and money will also go further than the Atlantic Seaboard however, if you will be working in the city centre once again be prepared for some traffic.

When it comes to safety in Cape Town, the exclusive suburbs of Bakoven and Camps Bay stand out as one of the safest places to live.  It is a small residential suburb close to Cape Town. 

How do I find a Job in Cape Town?

One of the best ways of finding a job in Cape Town is to register one's CV on the Executive Placements job portal, as this portal is used by 100’s of recruiters that are based in Cape Town. 

It would also be wise to make sure that your profile is kept up to date on LinkedIn.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is Cape Town?
• How do Cape Town Salaries Compare to the Rest of the Country?
• Is it Easy to get a job in Cape Town?
• What is the Average Age in Cape Town?
• Where is the Best to Live in Cape Town?
• What are the Fastest Growing Sectors in Cape Town?
• How Safe is Cape Town?
• How Far is Cape Town from Johannesburg?
• What is the Weather Like in Cape Town?
• What is Cape Town Best Known For?

Where is Cape Town?

The City of Cape Town is located in the south-western corner of the Western Cape at the foot of Table Mountain. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the city of Cape Town is the oldest urban area in the Western Cape. 

How do Cape Town Salaries Compare to the Rest of the Country?

For salary comparison, Cape Town salaries are slightly lower than Gauteng. Most surveys done, including an analysis in Executive Placements database shows that Gauteng pays higher salaries in most industries. 

The very noticeable difference is the quality of life in Cape Town and many people prefer that added advantage.

Is it Easy to get a job in Cape Town?

Cape Town has a diverse economy with many industries growing quickly. If you have excellent skills in almost any industry from finance, coding, to being a good chef or a tour guide you should be able to find a job.

The traditional routes of job hunting still apply, from job portals, word of mouth, to recruitment agencies.

What is the Average Age in Cape Town?

Cape Town is a very vibey, young city, 48% of the City’s population is between the ages of 20 and 49. The median age is 29.  Less than 6% are over the age of 65.

Where is the Best to Live in Cape Town?

The preferable places to live in Cape Town are predominantly in neighbourhoods along the Atlantic Seaboard. If you are out to enjoy the social atmosphere of Cape Town then, Camps Bay, Zonnebloem and Gardens are fantastic suburbs. 

If you are more family minded and are looking for a peaceful neighbourhood, you’ll want to look a little further out of the city, like Noordhoek or Kalk Bay.

What are the Fastest Growing Sectors in Cape Town?

High-growth sectors in the Western Cape include:

• Jobs in Finance 
• Jobs in Insurance
• Jobs in Construction
• Jobs in Communication
• Jobs in Furniture
• Jobs in Design
• Jobs in IT 
• Marine Jobs
• Jobs in Medical
• Jobs in Engineering and Infrastructure.

How Safe is Cape Town?

As with any city in the world, no city can be called 100% safe. A person needs to exercise caution in all situations. 

Enjoying the outdoors, whether you go for a jog or take a trip to the beach is safe, as long as you recognise the areas which are not safe.  Keep your valuable items out of sight.

How Far is Cape Town from Johannesburg?

By Car - 1390 km, about a 14 hour drive, or a 2 hour flight.

What is the Weather Like in Cape Town?

The weather is classified as a mediterranean climate.  The seasons are mainly rainy winters and dry summers. 

Summer: December to February, the average temperature ranges from around 24°C daytime and 16°C at night. Winter: June to August, the temperature ranges from around 15°C daytime and 6°C at night.

What is Cape Town Best Known For?

Cape Town is known for its beautiful scenery, sun and sea, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

And it is no wonder why, for seven years running, Cape Town has been voted the world’s best city.

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