New Visa Reforms Open Doors: South African Businesses Hire Foreign Talent, Boost Tourism

Home Affairs overhaul begins to pay off

South Africa’s long-strained immigration system is finally getting a second wind and businesses are starting to breathe easier. Thanks to a set of visa reforms introduced by Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, South African companies are tapping into global talent pools and welcoming a fresh wave of tourists from growth markets like India and China.

At the heart of this new momentum are two key initiatives: the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) for businesses hiring skilled foreign workers, and the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) aimed at expanding the tourism sector.

Both programmes are already showing promising results.

Engineers, coders and Koeberg: Business wins under TES

For years, South African companies have struggled with an unpredictable and painfully slow visa system especially when trying to hire foreign specialists like engineers, tech developers or scientists. But the Trusted Employer Scheme, introduced after a critical review of the country’s work visa adjudication system, is changing that.

Companies with clean labour and tax records can now register with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for expedited visa processing and the uptake has been swift.

Minister Schreiber revealed during his budget presentation that:

• 71 companies have already joined the scheme

• One software firm recruited 246 engineers through it

• Eskom onboarded 147 nuclear engineers to support work at the Koeberg nuclear power station

Although the total number of skilled workers admitted under the TES remains undisclosed, the message is clear: South Africa is actively making itself more attractive to global talent.

Tourism turnaround: From visas to visitors

In parallel, the tourism industry is riding its own wave of reform through the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) a system that fast-tracks visa access for vetted tour companies serving international travellers.

Since February, more than 17,000 tourists from India and China have entered South Africa through TTOS-approved operators. That has already created over 1,200 jobs in the tourism sector, according to the department.

To date:

• 65 tour operators were approved during the first rollout phase

• 45 more have been added in phase two

With global tourism still recovering from the pandemic, these figures mark a strong shift in South Africa’s approach,  one that targets growth markets with high return potential.

Crackdown at the border: A different kind of success

While opening doors for skilled labour and tourists, Home Affairs is also tightening controls where needed. Minister Schreiber said that 46,000 undocumented foreign nationals have been deported in the past year, the highest number in over five years, and more than recent figures reported by France or Germany.

Technology is also playing a role. Drones and bodycams deployed at key points have helped boost illegal border crossing detection by 215%,  a sharp increase that underscores how the department is investing in both security and reform.

Big budget, bold ambition

To maintain this momentum, Schreiber tabled an R11 billion budget for the upcoming financial year and secured over R300 million in additional funding annually for the next three years. Half of that, about R5.5 billion, is earmarked for the Border Management Authority.

Home Affairs also made headway on legacy problems, including clearing a 300,000-visa backlog and issuing a record-breaking 3.6 million smart ID cards in the last financial year, the most in a single year so far.

“If this is what Home Affairs could do in just one year, imagine what we can do in five,” Schreiber said in closing.

South Africa’s visa shift is about more than paperwork

While bureaucracy reform rarely grabs headlines, the transformation at Home Affairs is shaping the future of South Africa’s economy. Whether it’s making it easier for tech firms to compete, tourism operators to grow, or border security to modernise, these changes represent a clear departure from a system long defined by red tape and dysfunction.

What remains to be seen is whether these early wins can translate into sustained momentum and whether more sectors will be invited into the fold.

For now, one thing is certain: when Home Affairs works, South Africa works better.

{Source: The Citizen}

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