Which of these jobs is the most dangerous in South Africa?

When you think about the most dangerous jobs in South Africa, which one ranks number one?

In a 2025 study by Numbeo, a global cost-of-living database, South Africa ranked fifth in the ‘World’s Most Unsafe Travel Destinations.’ While such rankings are open to interpretation, some professions can put workers at greater risk than others.

As a country, beyond our crime rates and statistics, there are occupational hazards that sometimes come with the job. Think about police officers, firefighters and cash-in-transit security guards. 

There are numerous factors that contribute to securing a high-risk job. For many who enter these fields, it is due to passion, but also because of the compensation. 

You know the saying: big risk comes with big rewards. 

While that may be true to some extent, it can’t be ideal to work in the face of danger on a daily basis. 

We have collated a list of the most ‘dangerous’ jobs in South Africa based on the dangers posed in the field of duty and overall physical risk. 

Check out the list of jobs below and take part in our poll to vote on which of these jobs you think is the most dangerous. 

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