Trades

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The classic route into a trade runs through a TVET college or an employer-based apprenticeship or learnership, usually combining classroom theory with real workplace experience, and often finishing with a formal trade test that proves you can do the work to standard. Entry requirements are typically lower than for a university degree — many trades are open with a Grade 9 or Grade 10 level of schooling rather than a full matric pass, which makes this category one of the most accessible routes into a stable, paying career for school leavers who don't want — or can't afford — three or four more years of full-time study.

It's worth knowing upfront that trades aren't one uniform category. Some, like electrical work above a certain level, require formal registration with a regulatory body before you can sign off your own work. Others, like hairdressing, have no compulsory registration at all — you simply need the recognised qualification to work in the field. Confirm which applies before assuming either way, because it genuinely differs role by role.

Trades reward people who are good with their hands, comfortable with physical work, and happy to keep learning a craft over years rather than in one qualification. Many trades also offer a realistic path to self-employment or running your own small business once you're qualified and experienced — a route worth weighing alongside working for an employer.

See the trade career profiles below for each role's specific training route, whether registration applies, and what's genuinely known about pay and demand.