Mining, hydrocarbons and power: where the jobs are

Mission 300, a driver of electricity careers

Led by the World Bank and the AfDB, Mission 300 aims to connect 300 million Africans by 2030; nearly 600 million have no power. No job target has been set, but grids and off-grid solar mobilise technicians and installers.

Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria lead on connections

According to the AfDB, Tanzania has connected 7.5 million people, Ethiopia 4.6 million and Nigeria more than 4.5 million through the private sector. Nearly USD 15 billion has been committed, a signal to follow on the page employment in Tanzania.

The private companies involved in the programme

The Mission 300 Private Sector Council, created on 31 March 2026, brings together TotalEnergies, Scatec, Meridiam, Elsewedy Electric, Husk Power Systems, Sahara Power Group, Airtel Africa and Standard Bank among others. Their careers pages are a logical entry point for engineers.

Simandou: from construction to operation

After a peak of more than 60,000 workers during construction, Simandou is expected to offer fewer than 15,000 permanent posts. CTG aims for 3,000 jobs by the end of 2026, at least 70% of them Guineans, details on employment in Guinea.

Guinea's mining code and quotas of nationals

During the first five years of operation, Guinea's mining code requires at least 60% nationals in management and 80% among supervisors and skilled workers. Expatriates are therefore hired for highly specialised expertise and often for a limited period.

Training the next generation: technical centres and academies

SimFer has invested USD 20.8 million in technical training centres in Siatouro, and the Simandou Academy targets engineering, infrastructure and technology. In Burkina Faso, the authorities have also announced measures to develop local skills in mining.

South Africa: a shrinking mining sector

Stats SA reports a fall of 26,000 mining jobs in the second quarter of 2026, whereas the sector had created 3,000 in the same quarter of 2019. The market remains vast but selective, as the page working in South Africa shows.

DRC, Mali and Liberia: gold and metals

In the DRC, the EITI recorded in 2021 the highest level of female mining employment in five years, see employment in the DRC. In Mali, Emploi Dakar relayed B2Gold recruitment, and Liberia counts gold among its driving sectors.

Oil and gas: highly concentrated markets

No recent pan-African statistic on oil employment has been identified. In Libya, output rose from around 1.09 to 1.3 million barrels per day between 2024 and 2025, and in Angola, Total and Angola LNG post vacancies in Luanda.

Mining pay scales in two countries

In Tanzania, the monthly minimum wage in mining has reached 695,000 shillings since January 2026, against 175,000 in agriculture. In Mozambique, it has stood at 15,176.66 meticais in large mining companies since July 2025, among the highest floors.

Trades in demand on extractive sites

Mining engineers and geologists, electromechanics, plant operators, health and safety specialists, high-voltage electricians and solar technicians are among the usual profiles. Construction phases, close to building and civil works, come before the hiring of operations and maintenance teams.

Rotation, camp life and remote-site conditions

Mining and oil sites often operate on rotation, with camp accommodation far from towns. Before signing, ask for details of the work cycle, transport, medical cover, repatriation insurance and health and safety rules.

Organisations and platforms in the extractive sector

• Mission 300: World Bank and AfDB programme aiming to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
• Emprego.co.ao: Angolan job board where Luanda employers such as Total, Maersk Line and Angola LNG post vacancies.
• Go Zambia Jobs: Zambian site active since 2011, with vacancies in Lusaka, Kitwe and Solwezi, towns in the mining region.
• JobnetAfrica: Recruitment platform for managers and expatriates, with posts in Zambia, Ghana, Kenya and the DRC.
• PNet: South African job board that also posts vacancies for Zambia and Zimbabwe, two neighbouring mining countries.
• SimFer et Simandou Academy: Simandou project players funding technical training centres in Siatouro, Guinea.
• CTG, projet Simandou: Simandou project company aiming for 3,000 jobs by the end of 2026, at least 70% of them Guineans, according to Agence Ecofin.

Getting into a mining or energy company

1. Track projects under construction or starting up, as they recruit heavily before operations begin.
2. Obtain the safety clearances and technical certificates required to work on an industrial site.
3. Tailor your CV to sector benchmarks: tonnages, installed capacity, incidents avoided, certifications obtained.
4. Apply directly on the careers pages of operators and their subcontractors, then follow up with the human resources managers.
5. Check local content quotas and the work permit procedure if you are not a national of the country.
6. Get written confirmation of the rotation cycle, camp accommodation, medical cover and repatriation insurance.

Key figures: mining, oil and electricity

Documents required by extractive employers

• Technical CV with sites, equipment and certifications
• Legalised engineering, geology or technician diplomas
• Industrial safety and first aid certificates
• Medical certificate of fitness for on-site work
• Criminal record extract, often required for site access
• Appropriate work permit and visa for foreign candidates
• Valid passport for cross-border rotations

Scams and mistakes in mining and energy

• Paying fees to an intermediary who promises a post at a famous mine: companies recruit without asking candidates for money.
• Joining a site on a tourist visa, which exposes you to expulsion and puts the employer in breach of the law.
• Ignoring the quotas of nationals set by mining codes and local content laws, which reserve most skilled posts.
• Signing a construction-phase contract thinking it is a permanent job, when headcounts fall once the works end.
• Leaving without health or repatriation insurance for an isolated area where medical care is far away.

Information up to date as of October 2026. AfriqueJob.com does not recruit and never asks for money: beware of offers that demand fees.