A market dominated by international aid
For a candidate coming from abroad, the most visible way in remains the humanitarian sector: UN agencies, NGOs and donors advertise their Juba posts on specialised platforms. National data on private salaried employment, by contrast, remain scarce and hard to access.
The Labour Act of 2017, the reference text
Act No. 64 of 2017, signed in Juba on 24 October 2017, governs employment contracts, working hours, wages and the employment of foreign nationals. The Ministry of Labour publishes it online in PDF format, alongside its other legislation.
Hours: 8 a day, 40 a week
Section 56 caps working time at 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. For employees who do not work in shifts, some days may run to 9 hours, provided the weekly ceiling is respected.
A minimum wage provided for but not quantified
The law tasks the Labour Advisory Council with recommending a minimum wage, which the minister then publishes. No amount appears in the text and no recent scale has been verified, so negotiate your pay on the basis of the written offer.
Public employment exchanges
The Act creates employment exchanges, public placement offices supervised by the Office of the Labour Commissioner. An employer looking for a specific qualification must approach them. Registering with these offices can therefore complement a search carried out online.
Work permits for foreign employees
Every employee who is not South Sudanese must hold a valid work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour. Before leaving, get written confirmation of who starts the procedure and who pays the fees: in practice, the recruiting organisation often takes care of it.
Where to find vacancies in Juba and beyond
ReliefWeb's South Sudan Jobs list brings together NGO and United Nations agency posts in the country. The development platforms presented on our page on international organisations usefully complement this monitoring.
Profiles sought by NGOs
Project coordination, logistics, health, protection, grant financial management and programme monitoring and evaluation come up frequently in humanitarian adverts. Details of the roles and possible career paths are on the NGO and humanitarian jobs page.
National posts and international posts
Agencies often distinguish between local recruitment, reserved for nationals or residents, and international posts open to all nationalities. Read the nationality or national position line of each advert before preparing your application, to avoid a pointless submission.
Looking at the neighbours too
Many organisations active in Juba manage their teams from regional offices. The markets described for Uganda and Sudan show other job sites and other residence rules, which are useful for widening the scope of your search.
What the statistics do not say
Neither the unemployment rate nor the breakdown of employment by sector could be verified in recent official sources. Be wary of precise figures quoted without a source on blogs or social media: they are often copied without any checking.
Legislation in preparation at the ministry
The Ministry of Labour published draft labour regulations in 2022 and a 2021-2025 strategic plan. Consult its legislation section before signing a contract, as implementing rules may have been adopted since.
Useful institutions and sites in South Sudan
- Ministère du Travail du Soudan du Sud: Ministry of Labour: issues work permits to foreign nationals and publishes the Labour Act, draft regulations and the strategic plan.
- Office of the Labour Commissioner: Supervises the public employment exchanges created by section 35 of the Labour Act of 2017.
- Employment exchanges: Public placement offices that employers must approach when looking for a specific qualification.
- ReliefWeb South Sudan Jobs: ReliefWeb list of vacancies located in South Sudan, notably from NGOs and UN agencies.
- NATLEX (OIT): Legislative database of the International Labour Organization, with the record of the South Sudanese Labour Act 2017.
- Impactpool: Aggregator of United Nations, NGO and European institution vacancies, filterable by country and category.
How to apply in South Sudan
- Target the organisations present in Juba and set up an alert on the ReliefWeb list for the country.
- Check in each advert whether the post is national or international before writing your cover letter.
- Tailor a two-page English CV focused on results achieved in the field and the donors you have managed.
- Gather copies of diplomas, employment certificates and reachable references, often requested at shortlisting.
- Obtain the employer's written commitment on the work permit, insurance and security before accepting.
- Review the contract in the light of the Labour Act, particularly working hours and the permit.
Labour indicators for South Sudan
| Indicator | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum weekly hours | 40 hours | Labour Act 2017, section 56(1) |
| Daily hours | 8 hours, up to 9 on some days | Labour Act 2017, section 56(2) |
| Minimum wage | Not published (setting provided for by section 50) | Labour Act 2017 |
| Work permit for foreign nationals | Compulsory, issued by the Ministry of Labour | Labour Act 2017, section 46 |
| Unemployment rate | Not published | No official source verified in October 2026 |
Documents to gather for Juba
- English CV and targeted cover letter
- Passport valid for several months after the end of the contract
- Work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour
- Entry visa suited to a professional stay
- Diplomas and professional certificates with an English translation
- Certificates from previous employers and referees' contact details
- Up-to-date vaccination record, requirements to be confirmed with the embassy
Pitfalls to avoid in South Sudan
- Paying a so-called recruiter for a humanitarian post: United Nations agencies and reputable NGOs never charge application or visa fees.
- Leaving on a visitor visa in the hope of regularising on arrival, when the law requires a valid work permit for every foreign employee.
- Ignoring the national position label and applying for posts reserved for nationals, which wastes time on both sides.
- Accepting an offer without written clauses on insurance, evacuation and accommodation in an unstable security context.
- Relying on an unemployment rate or average salary found without a source, when no recent official statistics have been verified.
Your questions about working in South Sudan
What is the minimum wage in South Sudan?
The Labour Act of 2017 provides for a minimum wage to be recommended by the Labour Advisory Council and then published by the minister, but the law gives no amount. No recent scale has been verified, so pay depends on each employer's offer.
Do you need a work permit to work in Juba?
Yes. Section 46 of the Labour Act requires every foreign employee to hold a valid work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour. Ask the employer to confirm in writing that it is handling the procedure before you arrive.
How many hours a week do people work in South Sudan?
The law sets a maximum of 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Employees who do not work in shifts may do up to 9 hours on some days, within the weekly limit. The full text is published by the Ministry of Labour.
Where can I find NGO vacancies in South Sudan?
ReliefWeb publishes a dedicated list of posts located in the country. Aggregators such as Impactpool, which can be filtered by country, can complement this monitoring. Always consult the advert on the organisation's own website before applying.
Official sources
Labour Act 2017 (PDF du ministère)mol.gov.ss
Projet de règlement du travail 2022mol.gov.ss
ReliefWeb Jobsreliefweb.int
Information up to date as of October 2026. AfriqueJob.com does not recruit and never asks for money: beware of offers that demand fees.