Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Africa
South Africa: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 17.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Africa is 17.3%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Africa peaked at 18.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2014.
That places South Africa 134th 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, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 17.5% | — |
| 1992 | 17.6% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 17.5% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 17.5% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 17.3% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 17.2% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 17.0% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 16.8% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 16.6% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 17.1% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 17.0% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 16.9% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 16.8% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 17.5% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | -10.5% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 15.7% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 15.7% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 14.1% | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 14.6% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 15.1% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 15.5% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 15.6% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 16.3% | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 16.7% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 17.0% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 16.9% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 16.3% | -3.7% |
| 2024 | 17.3% | +6.0% |
| 2025 | 17.3% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.3% | 16.8% | 17.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 16.7% | 15.5% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 14.1% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.3% | 17.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 131 French Polynesia 18.2% compare
- 132 Mauritius 17.8% compare
- 133 Montenegro 17.4% compare
- 135 New Caledonia 17.1% compare
- 136 Bahamas 17.1% compare
- 137 Switzerland 16.9% compare
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, total (% of total employment) in South Africa?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Africa was 17.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 18.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2014.
- How does South Africa rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- South Africa ranks 134th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. 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, total (% of total 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.