Performing Arts & Culture
Music Performance
Performs music live or in recorded settings through disciplined practice, rehearsal, and ensemble or solo work.
Short insight
You enjoy work that feels creative, performing, practice and you can handle the trade-offs that come with it.
- Usually suits people who want mixed work.
- The role tends to feel people-heavy across the week.
- This path usually asks for 3 years of study or training.
- One of the real pressures is that it can be income can be inconsistent.
1. What this job is
Performs music live or in recorded settings through disciplined practice, rehearsal, and ensemble or solo work.
2. What daily life feels like
Practising technique, rehearsing with others, preparing sets, and performing or recording music.
3. Why someone might enjoy it
You enjoy work that feels creative, performing, practice and you can handle the trade-offs that come with it.
- Deep artistic craft path
- Can combine solo, ensemble, and session work
- Strong fit for disciplined creative people
4. What may be difficult
- Income can be inconsistent
- Practice and rehearsal loads are high
- Career growth often depends on constant networking and self-direction
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
Music performance diploma
Develops instrumental or vocal technique, rehearsal discipline, and live performance practice.
Audition readiness, disciplined practice, and music theory basics help.
7. Possible support routes
Funding route
Employer bursary or internship
Companies sometimes sponsor scarce-skill study or internship entry routes.
Coverage: Varies by employer and can include fees, mentorship, or practical exposure.
Best for: Business, finance, tech, and industrial pathways.
Competition is high and openings are uneven across sectors.
Funding route
Merit bursary
Academic or portfolio-based funding from institutions and private organisations.
Coverage: Partial or full fee support depending on performance.
Best for: Degree, diploma, and design-oriented pathways with strong results.
More realistic for students with strong marks or standout portfolios.
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
South African public universities
Official DHET directory of public universities and universities of technology across South Africa.
Study directory
Registered private higher education institutions
Official register of private institutions that are allowed to offer higher education qualifications.
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
DHET international scholarships
Official DHET portal for scholarships, exchanges, and study opportunities outside South Africa.
Funding contact
Institution financial aid offices
Many public and private institutions run their own bursaries, merit awards, hardship funds, and payment support offices.
10. Nearby options to compare
11. Official evidence
Music performance spans instrumental and vocal official occupations, so the pathway is broader than a single title in DHET’s taxonomy.
This pathway is currently supported by official occupation taxonomy rather than South African occupations-in-demand evidence.