Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in South Africa
South Africa: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 14.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
South Africa recorded 14.7% for self-employed, female (% of female employment) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in South Africa peaked at 20.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 11.8%, in 2014.
That places South Africa 131st out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 20.0% | — |
| 1992 | 20.0% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 20.0% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 19.6% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 19.3% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 19.0% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 18.4% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 18.2% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 17.7% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 17.6% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 16.8% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 18.5% | +10.4% |
| 2006 | 18.2% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 14.6% | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 14.1% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 13.1% | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 13.0% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 12.1% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 13.0% | +5.2% |
| 2018 | 12.6% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 13.3% | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 13.3% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 13.3% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 13.2% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 14.7% | +7.9% |
| 2025 | 14.7% | -0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 14.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 31.5%, 47% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 14.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80.9%, 18% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.4% | 18.4% | 20.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 14.6% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.0% | 11.8% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.8% | 13.2% | 14.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More work & labour data for South Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.242 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2122 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8748 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 58,057 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,698 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 49,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 45,189 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 94,314 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in South Africa?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in South Africa was 14.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 20.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.8% in 2014.
- How does South Africa rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- South Africa ranks 131st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.