FX.co ★ South Africa’s Unemployment Falls to 7.84 Million in Q4 2025

South Africa recorded a decline in unemployment in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the number of unemployed people easing to 7.836 million from 8.007 million in the previous quarter. The latest figures, updated on 17 February 2026, mark an improvement after the third quarter of 2025, when joblessness had reached 8.007 million.

The quarter-on-quarter drop suggests some momentum in the labour market towards the end of 2025. While the data only reflects changes in the absolute number of unemployed rather than the unemployment rate, the reduction indicates that fewer South Africans were without work in the final months of the year compared with the third quarter. Investors and policymakers will be watching subsequent releases to gauge whether this improvement is sustained into 2026.