74% of the corporate headquarters in South Africa are in Johannesburg. The city employs 12% of the national workforce and has a lively job market.

However, the competition in the contemporary job market is increasing due to high unemployment and the recent pandemic. So, if you’re looking for a job in Johannesburg, you might benefit from using a recruitment agency in Johannesburg.

This article will answer some beginner questions around working with recruiters or recruitment agencies. It will also introduce you to 5 recruitment agencies in Johannesburg that have recently won awards for recruitment excellence, as voted by job seekers.

You can use the table of contents below to go straight to any sections in this article.

Table of Contents

1. Why should you take advice from me?
2. What are the pros of using a recruitment agency in Johannesburg?
3. How do recruitment agencies work?
4. How much will the recruitment agency charge?
5. What should you do when a recruiter asks you how much you earn?
6. Can you use more than one recruitment agency at a time?
7. Top 5 award-winning recruitment agencies in Johannesburg

1. Why should you take advice from me?

I worked in the recruitment industry (as a digital marketing professional) for +7 recruitment agencies of a JSE-listed company for over a year. And I won an award for it. Secondly, I got 3 out of the 5 jobs on my CV through recruiters, and I’ve worked with many recruitment agencies during my many job searches.

2. What are the pros of using a recruitment agency in Johannesburg?

Recruitment agencies usually have large networks and good relationships with employers, giving them access to job vacancies that are not on job boards like PNet, Career Junction, Career24 and LinkedIn. If you’re in Johannesburg, it is always more convenient to use a recruitment agency based in the same city, especially for interview preparations and logistics.

3. How do recruitment agencies work?

There are several way you can start working with a recruitment agency or a recruiter in Johannesburg or anywhere in South Africa.

Option 1: How to work with recruitment agencies in Johannesburg

You can send your CV to a recruitment agency in via email, their website or by applying for a job that they have listed on one of their job board (e.g. PNet, CareerJunction, Career24, Indeed and LinkedIn). If they like your CV, they’ll contact you.

Option 2: How to work with recruitment agencies in Johannesburg

You can let them find you by placing a ‘job wanted/ jobseeker’ advert on platforms like Bizcommunity or Gumtree. They can also find you when they search PNet and CareerJunction for jobseekers. You just have to make sure that your profile is updated and searchable. If they like your profile, they’ll contact you.

Option 3: How to work with recruitment agencies in Johannesburg

You can contact a specific recruiter directly using LinkedIn by connecting with them on the platform. The best way to choose which recruiter to contact would be to check for the recruiter’s name at the end of a job advert for which you qualify. If they like your profile, they’ll contact you.

My personal experience with recruiters

In the 6+ years that I’ve been working, I’ve had 5 jobs and 60% (3 out of 5) of those jobs were gotten through recruiters. One of the recruiter managed to place me twice in two different jobs. She found me via a ‘job wanted’ post that I posted on Gumtree.

4. How much will the recruitment agency charge?

In South Africa, recruitment agencies and other companies are not allowed to charge you for employment services. The law prohibits charging jobseekers for services related to jobseeking. This is clearly outlined by the Department of Labour in clause 15 of the Employment Service Act 2014, which states that:

“No person may charge a fee to any work seeker for providing employment services to that work seeker.”

Recruitment agencies are paid by the employers or companies that have hired them to find someone for the job. The fees charged are usually a percentage of the job’s total annual salary. For example, if the job pays a total annual salary of R600,000 and the recruitment agency’s fees are 10% then the fees will be a once off payment of R60,000.

5. What should you do when a recruiter asks you how much you earn?

In your first few discussions with a recruitment agency, a recruiter will probably ask you to tell them how much you’re currently earning (total package, including benefits) or they might ask you to send them your latest payslip. You have a right to say no.

Saying No: Not agreeing to give them what they are asking for might affect negatively affect their willingness to work with you. This could remove you from the race before it starts and make you look like you have something to hide.

Saying Yes: Agreeing to give them what they are asking for might negatively affect your salary negotiating power if the employer offers you the job. You could end up being paid less than what the employer was willing to pay.

What I usually do

To avoid wasting my and the recruiter’s time, I ask the recruiter about the employer’s budget for the role (ideally) before they ask me about my current salary. That way I can get an honest answer and make an informed decision. Then, I proceed to give my current salary or payslip (if I am happy with the recruiter’s answer about the client’s budget).

6. Can you use more than one recruitment agency at a time?

Yes, you can use more than one recruitment agency at the same time (unless you have signed an exclusivity document that prohibits you from doing so). Recruitment agencies in Johannesburg discourage using more than one agency at a time.

What I do: I am a firm believer in ‘not putting your eggs in one basket’. So, when I am on the market for a new job, I entertain as many recruiters and headhunters as possible in order to increase my odds. However, I make sure that I am transparent with all the recruiters.

5 award-winning recruitment agencies in Johannesburg.

Table of Content
1. Isilumko Staffing
2. Edge Executive Search
3. Ultra Personnel
4. Orange Recruiting
5. EOH Integrated Services

1. Isilumko Staffing

Recruitment Agencies in Johannesburg
Areas of Specialisation:
  • Temporary, contract or permanent placement and Once-off or ongoing, single or bulk recruitment services.
Job Boards
Contact Details
Recruitment Agencies in Johannesburg
Areas of Specialisation
  • Headhunting and Executive Search, Graduate, Learnership and Intern Recruitment, and Disabled (Enabled) Recruitment.
Job Boards
Contact Details

3. Ultra Personnel

Recruitment Agencies in Johannesburg
Areas of Specialisation
  • Technical: Sales/ Process Engineers, Manufacturing, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality/ SHE, Procurement and Production.
  • Finance: Accounting, Credit Management, Costing, Financial Management, Debtors and Creditors, Cashbook, Bookkeping and Payroll.
  • Office Support: Reception, Secretarial, Sales/ Marketing, Human Resources, Administration, Shipping, Leasing, Operations and Centre Managers.
  • Pharmaceutical: Sales and Marketing, Brand Managers, Clinical Research Pharmacists, Lab Technicians and Health Care Practitioners.
Job Boards
Contact Details
  • Telephone: 0114554240
  • Email: vm@ultrap.co.za
  • Website:
  • Address: Unit 22, Block D, Hingham Field Office Park, 79 Boeing Road East
  • Bedfordview, 2007, Johannesburg, South Africa

4.Orange Recruiting

Recruitment Agencies in Johannesburg
Areas of Specialisation
  • Supply Chain, Executive Placements, Financial Services, FMCG, Mining, Sales and Marketing, Engineering,Clearing and Freight Forwarding, Information Technology and Manufacturing.
Job Boards
Contact Details

5. EOH Integrated Services

Recruitment Agencies in Johannesburg
Areas of Specialisation
  • Specialising in IT and the financial services industry, including these roles: Business and Systems Analysts, Solutions Architects, Programmers, Database and System Administrators, Software Engineers, Project Manager, Desktop Technicians, Project Administrators, Project leaders and Team leaders, Networks Administrators, Business Processing Consultants and Broad Based Architects.
Job Boards
Contact Details

About the recruitment industry

The 5 recruitment agencies above were recognized for the level of service they provided to job seekers on CareerJunction. In the 2019 Recruiter Awards by CareerJunction, over 3,700 votes were cast and 9 agencies walked away with special accolades. The awards were presented across 3 categories (based on the number of jobs posted over a 12-month period).

Most of recruitment agencies in Johannesburg are regulated by the Federation of African Professional Staffing Organisations (APSO), a voluntary professional body focused on the labour recruitment industry in South Africa. APSO has about 800 individual companies as members, most or all of which are recruitment agencies.

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