Jobs in Free State

Cultivated land in the Free State covers 32 000km², and natural veld/grazing land another 87 000 km². While the province has taken the lead in SA’s production of fuel from agricultural crops (also called biofuels), it also makes SA one of the top ten maize producers in the world.

Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the province’s income from agriculture, with animal products contributing an additional 30 percent, and the remaining portion provided by horticulture.

Notable crops include cherries (90 percent of the country’s cherry crop is produced in and around Ficksberg), both white and green asparagus varieties (Ficksberg is also home to the country’s two largest asparagus canning factories), as well as soya, sorghum, sunflowers (cultivated in the eastern free State), potatoes (40 percent of the country’s yield comes from the Free State’s high-lying regions),and floriculture.

Wikipedia describes the Free State as being “rich in mineral wealth”. Firstly, its gold represents 20 percent of the world’s total production; and secondly, mining (as mentioned above) is the province’s major employer.

The 12 gold mines in production here (the top two being the Harmony Gold Refinery and the Rand Refinery) produce 30 percent of South Africa’s gold output; this makes the country the fifth-largest gold producer worldwide.

Other notable mined products include solver, uranium, bituminous coal (which is converted to petrochemicals at Sasolburg), high-quality diamonds, and bentonite.

At least 14 percent of the province’s manufacturing takes place within high-technology industries, making it a leader among the country’s provinces in this regard. It’s chemicals sector is one of the most vital in the entire southern hemisphere; while Sasol’s high-level production of fuels, waxes, chemicals, and low-cost feedstock make it an industrial world leader.

Tourism is another notable Free State economic sector, with prime tourist attractions including the Golden Gate Highlands National Park (with its Sentinel Rock), the eastern region’s decorative painted Sotho homesteads, and pretty towns like Clarens, with its hiking trails, accommodation, quaint shops, and welcoming restaurants.

The job portal Executive Placements lists the following professional opportunities, which you may be keen to explore – depending on your specific career niche:

• medical jobs, such as a dentist who is keen to join a practice in Sasolburg, or an oral hygienist for Bloemfontein;
• engineering jobs, such as a site engineer (mechanical/electrical) within an FMCG environment;
• agriculture jobs, such as a production manager in Kimberley, a production foreman in Ficksburg, or a senior livestock manager in Harrismith;
• IT jobs, such as a desktop engineer for a mining company in Bloemfontein;
• HR jobs, such as an HR Business Partner/Manager in Parys.

Alternatively, apply directly to the company you aspire to join.

According to Expatica, the average salary in the province is R26 500 per month (R318k per annum). However, considerably more can be earned – up to R130k per month (R1.6 million per annum), in roles such as a chief technology officer, a human resources business partner, a nuclear medicine technologist, as just a few high-paying examples.

The most popular jobs in the province include that of a high-school teacher, an accountant, an office administrator, an operations manager, an administrative assistant, a registered nurse, and a quantity surveyor – with Payscale offering a good guide to the average salary (or range of salaries), that such positions are able to offer.

Payscale also lists the province’s most popular employers as follows: University of the Free State, IQVIA, Mediclinic, Syneos Health, Central University of Technology, SA Truck Bodies, the Department of Education, National Real Estate, the Mangaung Local Municipality, Absa, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ruwacon, CloverSA, the South African Police Services, FNB, Parexel, Raubex, the South African National Defence Force, Mazars, Ampath, OFM, WSP Global Inc, Pick n Pay, Massmart, Ernst & Young, Department of Health Services, Curro Holdings, Capitec, Ackermans, and Telkom.

Property search website ImmoAfrica advises that Dan Pienaar is probably top of the list when it comes to desirable suburbs in the province; with others ranking up there including Groenvlei, Waverley, Rayton, and Bayswater.

Property24 gives R1.2 million as the average asking price for a three-bedroom house, with listings generally ranging from around R850 000 to upwards of R2 million – depending on the finishes within and size of the erf on which the house has been built.

If, however, you’re after a ranch or palatial level establishment in which to reside, you may have to fork out around R12 million or more; and could then see yourself owing the likes of a balcony suitable for entertaining, pool, fitness centre, walk-in closet in the main bedroom, double (or bigger!) garage, wine cellar, fireplace/s, jacuzzi, and separate laundry.

If academics is your offsprings’ thing, it will be a good idea to peruse the list of top 20 Free State schools on the Modern Classroom website – including Eunice Senior Secondary, Witteberg Senior Secondary, C and NH Meisiskool Oranje, Voortrekker Senior Secondary, and New Horizon College, among many others. Good news, according to the SowetanLive is that the Free State had a 91 percent matric pass rate in 2024, which was the highest in SA’s history.

Rugby, hockey, tennis, and netball are a few of the sports that are popular among learners and adult athletes, alike.

Grey College was ranked second in the country’s school rugby rankings, after Paul Roos Gym – and has produced numerous professional players, such as World Cup winners Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn, Bismarck du Plessis, and Jannie du Plessis; and Springboks Cobus Reinach, Helgard Lourens Muller, Wian Hunter du Preez, and Jacobus “Jaco” Reinach. Click here for more Grey College-related rugby info.

When it comes to hockey, the U18 girls’ Southern Free State team has been ranked number one in South Africa, together with Eunice High School’s first hockey team. Notable youth players from the Free State include Ntsopa Mokoena, Germarie Spershott, and Lily-Ann Theron.

Oranje’s first tennis team is ranked number 1 in SA, as well as the Free State U18 team. Amanda Coetzer is a pro tennis player from Hoopstad in the Free State, and up and coming youth players include Donna le Roux, Cornel Liebenberg, and Lian du Toit .

The Free State also has a provincial amateur boxing league. Read more, here.

Free State Online and SA-Venues advise that this is a province with hot summers, where temperatures of between 15 and 32°C (23 is the average) can be expected in the hottest month of January.

Winters can be cold, with heavy frost over most of the province; and even some snow on the eastern mountains. The average winter temperature is a chilly 7.7ºC (or, expect a range of between 1ºC and a mild 17ºC).

Rain tends to fall mainly in the summer – with 600 to 750mm in the east, and often less than 300mm in the west.

In general, the hot arid climate is excellent to dry up chestiness, but requires regular sunscreen usage and good air-conditioning for those with chronic health conditions.

The short version of this story, according to the Britannica website, is that the Orange Free State was originally a Boer state – and only became a province of the South Africa in 1910, dropping the word ‘Orange’ to just Free State, in 1995.

There certainly are! Just a few gems to keep up your sleeve when entertaining guests or mingling socially, include the following:

• Welkom is one of the few cities in the world that was planned before it was built i.e. to house workers due to be employed in its gold and uranium mines;
• the African National congress (ANC) was formed in Bloemfontein in 1912, ostensibly by lawyer Pixley ka Isaka Seme (1881 –1951);
• the Free State produces more than 70 percent of SA’s grain (hence the term, the country’s ‘granary’) and exports 1.2 tons of cut flowers each year.