By Radarr Africa Business Desk
PRETORIA, November 12 (Radarr Africa) – South Africa’s official unemployment rate edged up to 33.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2026 from 33.6 per cent in the second quarter, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Tuesday.
The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged job-seekers, rose to 44.0 per cent from 43.8 per cent.
The official rate has stayed above 30 per cent for six years, which Reuters described as among the highest in the world.
Between July and September, employment fell in private households, agriculture and construction. Finance, manufacturing and mining were among the sectors that added jobs, Stats SA’s data showed.
The figures were released days after local government elections in which the African National Congress (ANC) lost heavily. Opinion polls have cited unemployment as one factor behind voter frustration with the party.
The ANC-led coalition government formed after the 2024 national election has struggled to create jobs despite economic reforms and a modest pickup in growth. Women, young people and Black South Africans remain especially vulnerable to unemployment
