Amazon Expands Hiring in South Africa Post-Tech Downturn

Johannesburg, South Africa – Amazon is on a hiring spree in South Africa, with a significant increase in job postings compared to earlier this year. This comes after a period of job cuts across the tech industry, including Amazon itself.

The e-commerce giant is currently advertising over 110 positions in South Africa, a sharp rise from the 55 jobs available in mid-January 2024 and the 70 positions in late April. This recruitment drive follows a period of downsizing in the tech sector, triggered by the end of the pandemic boom and a subsequent strain on consumer spending.

Many of the new openings are within Amazon’s recently launched South African e-commerce marketplace, which began operations in May 2024. However, Amazon Web Services (AWS), a major revenue driver for the company, also has numerous vacancies. Notably, a Cape Town team led by Chris Pinkham played a crucial role in developing the core EC2 component of AWS, which has since propelled it to become the world’s leading cloud platform.

While e-commerce is Amazon’s most recognizable business, AWS is the true profit powerhouse, generating roughly 75% of the company’s annual income. Attracting top tech talent is crucial for maintaining AWS’s dominance and continuous improvement.

The current hiring wave prioritizes roles in Operations, Information Technology, and Engineering. A significant portion of these openings are for cloud support engineers with various specializations. Software developers are also in high demand, particularly those with expertise in supporting AWS and EC2 specifically.

Beyond technical positions, Amazon is also seeking program and product managers. Other departments with multiple openings include buying, planning, and inventory management; marketing; customer service; business and merchant development; and sales, advertising, and account management.

For a full list of available positions and specific requirements, interested candidates can visit the Amazon Jobs portal.