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South Africa Services Employment

Employment in services  SL.SRV.EMPL.ZS

73.83% +0.08% (+0.1%)
Year 2025 Rank #141 Global Peak 73.93% (2023) Source World Bank

South Africa Services Employment (1991–2025)

Overview

South Africa's services employment stood at 73.83% in 2025, a rise of +0.08% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 73.93% by 2026. South Africa ranked 141st globally.

Data & projection

Year Services Employment YoY change Rank
2028* trend 74.07% - -
2027* trend 74.00% - -
2026* trend 73.93% - -
2025 73.83% +0.08% #141
2024 73.75% −0.17% #142
2023 73.93% +0.57% #146
2022 73.36% −0.31% #149
2021 73.67% +0.33% #149
2020 73.34% +0.89% #146
2019 72.45% +0.73% #145
2018 71.72% +0.31% #144
2017 71.41% +0.30% #143
2016 71.11% +0.54% #141
2015 70.58% −1.38% #141
2014 71.96% +0.44% #148
2013 71.52% −0.21% #147
2012 71.73% +0.49% #149
2011 71.24% +0.77% #149
Show all years (1991-2025)
* Linear trend extrapolation

Detected Pattern

Export Boom Cycle
Current account surplus with strong export growth (>15% YoY), reserve accumulation, and moderate GDP growth. Typical of commodity exporters during price surges.
Reserves YoY +14.4% GDP growth 3.2% C/A balance 0.0%
Occurred 768 times, 546 successful
Reserves YoY
+25.6%
GDP growth
4.0%
C/A balance
14.5%
Reserves YoY
+14.6%
GDP growth
3.7%
C/A balance
2.9%
Reserves YoY
+12.8%
GDP growth
43.8%
C/A balance
16.4%
Reserves YoY
+12.6%
GDP growth
6.0%
C/A balance
0.5%
Reserves YoY
+38.3%
GDP growth
5.0%
C/A balance
1.2%
Reserves YoY
+18.0%
GDP growth
2.9%
C/A balance
3.9%

Analysis

South Africa matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1994. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw services employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is South Africa's services employment?

South Africa's services employment was 73.83% in 2025. Ranked 141st globally. This represents a 0.1% increase from the previous year.

What was the highest services employment in South Africa?

South Africa's services employment peaked at 73.93% in 2023.

What was the lowest services employment in South Africa?

The lowest services employment in South Africa was 64.70% in 2002.

How does South Africa rank in services employment?

South Africa ranks 141st globally in services employment as of 2025.

What is the World Bank indicator code for services employment?

The World Bank indicator code is SL.SRV.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.

What is the projected services employment of South Africa in 2026?

South Africa's services employment is projected to reach 73.93% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.

What is the services employment of South Africa in 2025?

The services employment of South Africa in 2025 was 73.83%. This ranks 141st in the world.

Cite this page

APA
South Africa Services Employment. HistorySaid. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://historysaid.com/south-africa/services-employment
BibTeX
@misc{historysaid_south-africa_services-employment, title = {South Africa Services Employment}, url = {https://historysaid.com/south-africa/services-employment}, publisher = {HistorySaid}, year = {2026} }