Employment in Pretoria

Local Economy

As the administrative capital of the country, Pretoria is heavily dominated by governmental organizations. However, industry is also important to the local economy and the Pretoria region is currently responsible for around 9% of South Africa’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Production of steel and iron products as well as motor manufacturing supply many jobs in the area, while the city is also the main base for the South African military.

Job Hunting in Pretoria

Like everywhere else in the country, the chances of finding a job in Pretoria are dependent on a person’s skills and experience. Governmental jobs are readily available, while those experienced in the motor sector may find opportunities at BMW’s Rosslyn Plant.

With three universities, Pretoria is also South Africa’s main scholarly city so roles can be found periodically for overseas academics and lecturers.

Newspapers provide a great way of looking for vacant positions. The Pretoria News is the largest publication in the region and produces a work supplement every Monday and Wednesday. The Star also has an employment section on the same day, but expats looking to start working in Pretoria will find that many of its listings are based in Johannesburg, which is around 55 km to the south.

Websites should also not be overlooked. Leading sites for jobseekers include Careers24, Indeed, and Employment Info.

Income Taxation in Pretoria

South Africa’s tax is applied on a progressive basis, meaning that those who earn more are required to pay a higher percentage of their income to the government.

People under the age of 65 and earning less than 73,650 ZAR each year are not required to pay any tax and are also not required to file an annual tax return. For those aged between 65 and 75, the threshold is 114,800 ZAR and people aged 75 or over are only taxed on income above 128,500 ZAR.

Current income taxation rates are as follows:

• 0–181,900 ZAR | 18%
• 181,901–284,100 ZAR | 32,742 ZAR + 26% above 181,900 ZAR
• 284,101–393,200 ZAR | 59,314 ZAR + 31% above 284,100 ZAR
• 393,201–550,100 ZAR | 93 135 ZAR + 36% above 393,200 ZAR
• 550,101–701,300 ZAR | 149 619 ZAR + 39% above 550,100 ZAR
• 701,301 ZAR and above | 208,587 ZAR + 41% above 701,300 ZAR