South Africa’s unemployment rate rose for the second consecutive quarter, deepening one of the most pressing challenges facing the country’s year-old coalition government. Official data released on Tuesday by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) showed the jobless rate climbed to 33.2% in the April–June period, up from 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 one of the highest unemployment levels globally.
The coalition, formed after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 general election, had pledged to prioritise job creation. However, despite its promises, the number of unemployed people rose to 8.367 million in the second quarter. Stats SA also reported a slight decline in the broader measure of unemployment, which includes discouraged jobseekers, but said this did little to offset the overall trend.
Employment losses were recorded in six of the 10 industries tracked by Stats SA. The steepest declines came from community and social services, agriculture, and finance. Only four sectors recorded gains, suggesting sluggish economic momentum across much of the economy.
Chief statistician Risenga Maluleke told reporters it was still too early to determine whether recent U.S. trade measures were influencing the figures. South African exports to the United States were hit with a 30% tariff last week the highest rate imposed on any country in sub-Saharan Africa.
Maluleke also rejected criticism from a former head of local banking giant Capitec that Stats SA was undercounting informal sector workers. He insisted that informal employment has always been measured and made public, warning that “South Africa would be making a big mistake as a country if we want to assume that we do not have an unemployment challenge.”
Desiree Manamela, chief director of labour statistics, announced that updates to the way the agency collects unemployment data will be implemented next quarter. While unlikely to significantly alter the headline unemployment rate, the changes will provide a broader set of indicators on the economy’s health.
With joblessness remaining stubbornly high and economic headwinds mounting, the figures underscore the scale of the challenge facing the coalition government as it tries to deliver on its central promise: putting more South Africans into work.
