Building & Construction Trades
Bricklaying
Builds walls, structures, and masonry features on construction sites using measured, practical site work.
Short insight
You enjoy work that feels practical, physical, building and you can handle the trade-offs that come with it.
- Usually suits people who want hands-on work.
- The role tends to feel balanced across the week.
- This path usually asks for 3 years of study or training.
- One of the real pressures is that it can be the work is highly physical.
1. What this job is
Builds walls, structures, and masonry features on construction sites using measured, practical site work.
2. What daily life feels like
Setting lines, mixing or working with materials, laying bricks or blocks, and checking levels and alignment.
3. Why someone might enjoy it
You enjoy work that feels practical, physical, building and you can handle the trade-offs that come with it.
- Clear site-based trade with visible output
- Strong practical path into construction work
- Skills transfer across many building projects
4. What may be difficult
- The work is highly physical
- Weather exposure is common
- Speed and quality pressure can clash on busy sites
5. Market reality
A simple picture of what this path tends to feel like in the market: how earnings usually grow, how reachable the path is, and how steady it may feel over time.
Mid: low-medium
Long-term: medium
6. Paths into the role
Bricklaying apprenticeship
Hands-on trade training in masonry, site preparation, levels, and structural building work.
Practical discipline, measuring skill, and comfort with site work help.
7. Possible support routes
Funding route
SETA learnership support
Work-linked training and stipends in sectors that use learnership models.
Coverage: Training costs and sometimes a stipend.
Best for: Trades, technical pathways, and employer-linked programmes.
Opportunities depend on employer participation and annual intakes.
Funding route
Youth employment programme support
Public and non-profit initiatives that help young people access first work exposure.
Coverage: Short-term support, stipends, placement assistance, or training.
Best for: Shorter pathways and first-step job access.
Useful for momentum, but not a full funding solution on its own.
8. Where to study in South Africa
These are official South African directories and provider lists, split into online or distance options and campus or in-person routes.
Campus and in person
Study directory
Public TVET colleges
Official DHET list of public TVET colleges and campuses across the country.
Study directory
TVET colleges offering occupational programmes
Official DHET resource showing which TVET colleges currently offer occupational and trade-focused programmes.
Study directory
Community Education and Training colleges
Official DHET list of CET colleges and community learning centres around South Africa.
Study directory
Registered private colleges
Official register of private colleges for non-university qualifications and college-level study.
Study directory
QCTO accredited providers
Official QCTO provider guidance for accredited occupational qualifications, trades, and skills pathways.
9. Where to ask about funding
These are public or official starting points that line up with this path. Some are broad, some are very specific, and most open and close on their own annual cycles.
Funding contact
SETA directory
Official DHET directory for Sector Education and Training Authorities and their learnership, bursary, and skills programmes.
Funding contact
National Skills Fund
National public skills funding that often supports large training and employment-linked programmes.
Funding contact
SAYouth
Free national platform for young South Africans looking for learning, skilling, and work opportunities.
10. Nearby options to compare
11. Official evidence
Bricklaying maps directly to Bricklayer, which remains visible in current DHET demand material for construction trades.