South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has introduced sweeping reforms to the country's visa regime, aiming to stimulate economic growth, attract skilled workers, and boost the tourism sector.
One of the key changes introduced is a Remote Work Visa, designed to attract highly paid professionals employed abroad who do not compete with local workers. By spending their foreign currency locally, these individuals are expected to contribute directly to South Africa’s economy.
"The Remote Work Visa enables highly paid individuals...to spend their valuable foreign currency right here in South Africa," South African Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, explained.
Another critical reform is the introduction of a points-based system for work visas, which aims to streamline visa applications while combating inefficiency and corruption. By establishing a transparent points scale, the new system will objectively determine eligibility for Critical Skills or General Work Visas.
"By harnessing the power of market-based regulatory reform to cut red tape and enhance transparency, Home Affairs is fighting corruption in our immigration system while delivering on the GNU’s [Government of National Unity] apex priority to grow the economy and create thousands of new jobs for the people of South Africa," the minister underscored.
Research from the South African Reserve Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute shows that increasing the share of highly skilled workers by just 0.02% can boost annual economic growth by up to 1.2%. The research also indicates that improving the visa system could create seven jobs for every additional skilled worker attracted to the country.