← All posts

South Africans heading to Australia: why hands-on trades may ride out the AI wave better

Tips · 2026-10-07 · 4 min read

AI is costing some Australians their office jobs. That is not hype. Earlier in 2026, employment lawyers in Australia said they now deal with AI-related redundancies about once a week. If you are a South African planning a move, here is what matters and what does not.

Who is losing out

The cases are mostly white-collar. Data analysts, copywriters, coders and administration staff are the groups lawyers named, because AI can now handle a share of their daily tasks. A specialist lawyer said this kind of case simply did not come up two years ago.

Here is the part that matters for tradespeople. The same lawyer said Australia has a high number of physical jobs, and that gives the country some protection. A business academic in Sydney made a related point from the other direction: office employment has grown while manufacturing has shrunk, so Australia may have left its workforce more exposed to automation than it knows.

Put simply, work done with your hands, on site, is not where the current wave of AI redundancies is landing.

What locals are saying

Australian workers are not all worried. Survey research found about half had felt no AI impact at work yet. But 32 per cent said they would have picked a different career if they had known how widespread AI would become, and about 40 per cent said they were not prepared for major change. That is roughly one in three people second-guessing their career.

Canberra's position, in short

The federal government has chosen not to proceed with a National Artificial Intelligence Act. It has set expectations for the industry instead. An independent senator for the ACT has pushed back hard, saying thousands of jobs have already been lost and that 10 per cent unemployment could not be ruled out if AI moved too fast.

The government says its National AI Plan is about sharing AI's benefits while keeping Australians safe, and that secure, ongoing work is central. Its line is that AI should create good jobs, not threaten them. Early data from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has not shown the workforce changing faster than normal, though the government calls this an observation, not a prediction.

In March, the government released five principles for data centres and AI infrastructure. One of them is investing in Australian skills and jobs. Others cover the national interest, the energy transition, sustainable water use, and research and local capability. Big money is arriving too: Microsoft announced a $25 billion investment in AI infrastructure and skills in Australia.

Unions are also expected to ask for enterprise agreement clauses that stop staff being replaced by AI, or that pay more in redundancy when it happens. Last year the media union reached a deal of that kind with an independent publisher.

Your to-do list from South Africa

• Trade papers. Keep your South African trade test certificate (often called a "red seal") ready. Trades are usually assessed again in Australia through a skills assessment, often through Trades Recognition Australia.
• Know the occupation lists. The Department of Home Affairs publishes a skilled occupation list. Check where your trade sits.
• SAPS clearance. If a police certificate is requested, apply for a police clearance certificate from the South African Police Service.
• English test. IELTS or PTE, if your visa or employer asks for it.
• Certified copies. When certified copies are asked for, have them certified, for example by a commissioner of oaths.
• Family. If your family is coming with you, start planning their move early.

Office professionals should not panic either. Australia appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach, watching the US first. Build your digital and AI skills, because the government keeps saying that is where the benefits lie. Mzansi produces skilled, hard-working people. Go in prepared, and go in proud.

#south africans #jobs in australia for south africans #artificial intelligence #tradespeople #skills assessment #white-collar jobs