Newmarket event shines a spotlight on plumbing as a career
A community initiative highlighted the importance of plumbing in home renovations while encouraging young people to consider one of South Africa's in-demand skilled trades.
While plumbing may not always be the first career South Africans think of, a Newmarket business wanted to put the trade firmly in the spotlight.
Bathroom Bizarre in Newmarket recently hosted a Plumber’s Day to showcase plumbing and give the local community a closer look at what the business offers. Branch manager Tiyani Malamulele said the event was about putting plumbing front and centre.
“Today we’re having a Plumber’s Day. It’s time for us to show what we have in terms of plumbing,” said Malamulele. For the Newmarket team, plumbing is about far more than fixing a leaking tap. “Plumbing plays a very important role in terms of our bathroom work and finishings when you’re doing your renovations,” Malamulele explained.
The focus on the trade comes at a time when South Africa continues to grapple with shortages of skilled artisans. The government identifies plumbers among the trades in demand, while its artisan development programme aims to address the country’s shortage of skilled workers.
The Department of Higher Education and Training’s latest statistics also show that thousands of learners entered plumber training programmes as part of scarce-skills artisanal programmes during the 2024/25 financial year.
At the same time, the need for employment opportunities among young South Africans remains stark. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) reported that millions of young people aged 15 to 34 were unemployed in the first quarter of 2026, with unemployment reaching 60.9% among those aged 15 to 24.
That makes trades such as plumbing worth a closer look for young people considering their career options.
The government says South Africa aims to train 30 000 artisans a year by 2030, with plumbing among the in-demand trades.
For Bathroom Bizarre, however, the message was simple: plumbing deserves more exposure.
Malamulele said the business was “happy to be presenting this to our community” and invited residents to visit the Newmarket store to see what it has available. “Just to show the community that we have plumbing on our side. And then to give it more exposure in terms of what we offer,” he said.
With plumbing playing an important part in getting bathroom renovations and finishing work right, Plumber’s Day gave the trade a chance to step out from behind the walls and into the spotlight.
