PHP DEVELOPER (CAPE TOWN - CLAREMONT) UP TO R800K PER ANNUM

E-Merge; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 720,000 - 880,000; Full time

Job summary

E-Merge in Cape Town seeks a PHP Developer to build scalable production systems and solve real-world problems. You will work across modern and legacy codebases, leveraging Laravel or Symfony, MySQL/PostgreSQL, and secure RESTful APIs in an Agile team.

We value a strong portfolio and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, with 5+ years of PHP experience and a passion for practical, people-first tech impact.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of commercial PHP development experience.
• Strong experience with Laravel or Symfony and codebase maintenance.
• Relational databases MySQL/PostgreSQL with ORM (Eloquent/Doctrine).
• RESTful API design with OAuth2/JWT and secure practices.
• Git, CI/CD and Agile/Scrum in production environments.
• Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/SE or equivalent portfolio.

Skills

RESTful APIs

Git workflows

Agile/Scrum

Legacy code maintenance

Laravel/Symfony experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/IT/SE

Tools

Laravel

Symfony

MySQL

PostgreSQL

OAuth2/JWT

Doctrine/Eloquent

Git

Job description

A people-first technology company with a big heart, a curious mind, and a passion for making a real difference is looking for a PHP Developer to join them. They have built a culture where people are encouraged to bring their ideas, ask questions, keep learning, support one another and have a little fun while doing it.

This role is for someone who enjoys good code, clever solutions, meaningful work and working with genuinely great people who believe that technology is at its best when it helps people and solves real-world problems.

If you are looking for more than just another development job and want to be part of a team that cares about its people, its technology and its impact.

Requirements

• 5+ years' commercial PHP development experience, with a proven track record delivering and maintaining scalable production systems.
• Strong experience with PHP frameworks (Laravel/Symfony) and ability to work across both modern and legacy codebases.
• Solid knowledge of relational databases (MySQL/PostgreSQL), including schema design, query optimisation, and ORM usage (Eloquent/Doctrine).
• Experience building and integrating RESTful APIs, with understanding of authentication methods (OAuth2, API keys, JWT) and secure design practices.
• Proficiency with Git and modern development workflows, including pull requests and CI/CD pipelines.
• Comfortable working in Agile/Scrum environments, with the ability to quickly onboard into existing systems and navigate complex or non-standard codebases.
• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience with a strong portfolio of live systems).
• Proficiency in modern PHP (version 8.0 or later) is essential.

Reference Number for this position is MAT61506 which is a permanent position based in Cape Town, offering a salary of up to R800k per annum, depending on your experience and ability.