Report: Foreign nationals concentrated in senior roles at South African universities amid data gaps

New findings from the department of employment and labour and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) show a marked concentration of foreign nationals in senior positions at South Africa’s public universities, and reveal gaps in national data and cases of visa fraud linked to Home Affairs.

What the reports found

The department of employment and labour reported that foreigners make up 2.1% of the wider education workforce but account for 7.1% of staff at public universities, which represent nearly 78% of all foreigners employed in the sector.

At higher levels the concentration increases: 12.8% of professionally qualified university staff and 16% of senior management at universities are foreigners, compared with 4.4% and 5.2% respectively across the broader education sector.

Data problems and monitoring challenges

The department of higher education and training acknowledged it lacks a reliable national picture of foreign recruitment and instead must rely on incomplete and inconsistent figures supplied by institutions. The employment and labour investigation covered 14 of the 26 public universities, but only five provided usable figures.

Investigators noted that universities used varied terminology including “foreign national”, “international academic” and “international staff” which made comparisons difficult and complicated efforts to monitor compliance and assess the effects of international hiring.

Concerns about policy and compliance

Parliamentarians warned that the internationalisation policy may be used to justify hiring from abroad and could be misapplied to bypass local recruitment. MPs raised concerns that when foreign nationals occupy senior management roles they may favour compatriots in hiring, potentially sidelining South African academics.

Compliance issues compound the problem: of 3,324 institutions targeted for inspection in the fourth quarter, 1,948 were inspected and 91% were non-compliant with the Employment Equity Act. Gauteng had the highest non-compliance rate at 99.6%. The department has pledged to move from an advisory inspection regime to active enforcement from October 2026.

Institutional examples

Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley recorded the highest proportional concentration of foreign nationals at the professionally qualified level: 39.2% (31 of 79 staff), compared with a reduction target of 32.9%. The University of Mpumalanga and the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein were previously flagged for having excessively high numbers of foreign staff with no justification.

SIU findings on visa fraud and misuse

The SIU reported investigations into fraud connected to study and work visas, uncovering schemes that involved fake university acceptance letters, medical certificates and medical aid documentation, which the SIU said were allegedly facilitated by corrupt Home Affairs officials.

The SIU identified a range of abuses including manipulation of DNA results to secure permanent residence, abuse of retirement visas and the misuse of asylum permits as pathways to citizenship. Between 2017 and 2025 the SIU noted 14 proclamations in the higher education portfolio, of which eight were finalised and six were ongoing.

Investigations resulted in 278 referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority, 205 administrative referrals for visa revocation and deportation and seven internal disciplinary referrals. The SIU has established a monitoring unit to follow up on its work.

What this means going forward

The combined findings from the department of employment and labour and the SIU point to concentrated foreign representation at senior levels in universities, weak data collection and serious integrity concerns linked to visa and documentation fraud. Parliamentarians emphasised the transformation and local-empowerment risks posed by these patterns, and authorities have signalled a shift toward stricter enforcement.