Browse 76+ career guides written for South African Grade 8–12 learners. Each guide covers the APS you need, which university programmes to apply for, what the career involves, and step-by-step pathways to get there.
Choosing a career after matric is one of the most important decisions you'll make. Each guide below tells you exactly what APS you need, which South African universities offer the programme, what subjects are required, what the career involves day-to-day, and the salary range you can expect in South Africa. Use the free APS Calculator to check if you qualify, or take the Career Interest Quiz to find careers that match your personality.
Take our free RIASEC Career Interest Quiz to discover which of these careers best matches your personality, strengths, and interests.
You don't need a university degree to build a great career. Electricians, plumbers, welders and other artisans are among South Africa's most in-demand — and well-paid — professionals. These careers are accessible with a lower APS and offer real earning potential.
Restore smiles and promote oral health
Read career guide →Use food science to prevent disease and promote wellbeing
Read career guide →Diagnose and treat illness, save lives every day
Read career guide →Provide essential hands-on patient care every day
Read career guide →Help people regain independence through purposeful activity
Read career guide →Dispense medicines safely and counsel patients on their use
Read career guide →Help people recover movement and function through rehabilitation
Read career guide →Understand the mind, support mental health and wellbeing
Read career guide →Produce medical images to help diagnose and treat illness
Read career guide →Support vulnerable individuals, families and communities
Read career guide →Diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders
Read career guide →Design buildings that shape communities and skylines
Read career guide →Design and build the infrastructure that connects communities
Read career guide →Build the software and systems that power the modern world
Read career guide →Protect organisations from hackers and digital threats
Read career guide →Turn raw data into insights that drive real decisions
Read career guide →Extract insights from data to drive strategic decisions
Read career guide →Power homes, industries, and the national grid
Read career guide →Design and maintain mechanical systems across industries
Read career guide →Manage construction costs and contracts from design to completion
Read career guide →Build the apps and systems that power the digital world
Read career guide →Shape cities, communities, and land use for sustainable growth
Read career guide →Keep businesses financially healthy and compliant
Read career guide →Use advanced mathematics to assess financial risk
Read career guide →Analyse financial data to guide investment decisions
Read career guide →Manage an organisation's most important asset — its people
Read career guide →Build brands and drive business growth through creative strategy
Read career guide →Build brands and grow audiences across digital platforms
Read career guide →Create clothing and accessories that define culture and identity
Read career guide →Tell stories that move, inform, and entertain audiences
Read career guide →Create visual content that communicates and captivates
Read career guide →Investigate, report, and inform the public on issues that matter
Read career guide →Design digital experiences people love to use
Read career guide →Feed the nation by improving crops, livestock, and farming systems
Read career guide →Study the chemical processes that power life
Read career guide →Discover and apply the science of matter and its transformations
Read career guide →Analyse markets, policy, and resource allocation to advise decision-makers
Read career guide →Protect natural resources and ensure environmental compliance
Read career guide →Unlock the earth's resources and understand its processes
Read career guide →Use the language of numbers to solve complex real-world problems
Read career guide →Explore the fundamental laws that govern the universe
Read career guide →Diagnose and treat illness in animals
Read career guide →Study crime patterns and contribute to safer communities
Read career guide →Analyse power, governance, and policy to shape a better society
Read career guide →Manage government resources and deliver services to communities
Read career guide →Diagnose and fix the electrical systems that power modern vehicles
Read career guide →Fabricate and maintain the heavy steel structures powering South African industry
Read career guide →Lay the foundations of South Africa's built environment
Read career guide →Build the structures that shape South African homes and buildings
Read career guide →Fly passengers and cargo safely across Africa and beyond
Read career guide →Place, finish, and cure concrete structures on South Africa's construction sites
Read career guide →Lift and place heavy loads safely on construction sites and in ports and industry
Read career guide →Operate excavators, bulldozers, and graders on mines and construction sites
Read career guide →Power South Africa — wire, maintain, and repair electrical systems
Read career guide →Install and maintain gas systems that power South African homes and industry
Read career guide →Create exceptional experiences for guests in hotels, restaurants, and resorts
Read career guide →Calibrate the instruments and control systems that keep South Africa's plants safe and precise
Read career guide →Keep goods moving efficiently from supplier to customer
Read career guide →Keep South Africa's factories, mines, and plants running at full capacity
Read career guide →Map underground and surface mines with precision — a technical career in South Africa's mining sector
Read career guide →Set and detonate explosives to break rock and unlock ore across South Africa's mines
Read career guide →Drill rock faces and ore bodies in underground and surface mines
Read career guide →Diagnose and repair vehicles to keep South Africa moving
Read career guide →Transform surfaces and spaces with colour, texture, and protective coatings
Read career guide →Restore accident-damaged vehicles to factory-perfect condition
Read career guide →Design and assemble the industrial pipework that keeps SA's plants running
Read career guide →Apply smooth and decorative plaster finishes to walls and ceilings
Read career guide →Install and maintain the water and drainage systems South Africa depends on
Read career guide →Keep cold chains, buildings, and industrial plants at the right temperature
Read career guide →Plan and execute the heavy lifts and load movements that build South Africa's infrastructure
Read career guide →Erect and dismantle safe working platforms for construction and maintenance projects
Read career guide →Extract coal, chrome, and iron ore from open-cast mines across South Africa
Read career guide →Lay precision ceramic, porcelain, and stone tiles on floors and walls
Read career guide →Fuse metal and build the structures that hold South Africa together
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