StatsSA said 204,000 jobs were added in the third quarter, especially in manufacturing, trade, construction and transport.

The drop follows falls of 0.6 and 0.8 percentage points in the second and first quarters of the year respectively, the official statistics agency said.

Unemployment stood at 35.3 percent at the end of 2021.

The country's high unemployment rate has fueled protests and anti-foreigner sentiment.

Youth unemployment -- among jobseekers aged 15-34 -- remains particularly high at 45.5 percent.

South Africa's chronic problem of energy shortages has worsened this year, with the state-owned monopoly Eskom failing to keep pace with demand and maintain its ageing coal-powered infrastructure.

Poverty, inequality and joblessness run high in South Africa, nearly three decades after the end of apartheid.