• Leon Schreiber plans to put in place points-based system
• Minister says he will also act to resolve nomad visa confusion

South Africa must fix a dysfunctional work permit system or sacrifice economic growth, the country’s new Home Affairs minister said, pledging to resolve a crisis that employers say limits investment.
A byzantine application process that can extend beyond a year has contributed to a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applications, while miring his department in lawsuits from people demanding rulings on their submissions.
That’s been accompanied by a national debate where foreigners are routinely accused of stealing South African jobs, in a country with an unemployment rate of more than 30%. That’s despite the Treasury saying a dearth of skills is the second-biggest threat to the economy after power cuts, and skilled workers create jobs for those less qualified.
A German-South African business association, which represents companies including Volkswagen AG, has said the chaos threatens operations that support 100,000 jobs.
Won’t Grow
“This country’s economy will never grow if we don’t open our doors to people who want to lawfully come here and make a contribution and help us get on track,” said Leon Schreiber, appointed as minister last month in a coalition government dominated by his Democratic Alliance party and the bigger African National Congress.
“It is one of the jobs of political leadership to go out and actually make these kind of arguments to say this is where the problem actually is,” he said in an interview on Wednesday. “Don’t scapegoat and include people who are trying to actually help us build the country.”
One of the 35-year-old minister’s priorities includes adopting a points system to allow skilled workers to take up employment based on their qualifications, job offers and income level.
Another is resolving confusion around a so-called nomad visa, which is designed to cater to remote workers

who want to base themselves in South Africa. It became law earlier this year but has frustrated potential applicants because the requirements are unclear.
“The points based system is, I think, fundamental to overhauling the whole system because it’ll do away with these different requirements for different categories,” said Schreiber, who is the second-youngest member of the 34-member cabinet. “It will streamline that whole process.”
He also said repairing “the hostile” relationship between Home Affairs and permit applicants is key to turning the department into “an economic enabler” focused on job creation.
“This is the only department that has the capability to, within a relatively short period, bring in the skills that companies need,” he said.
Angry Tourists
In addition to the work permit problem, Schreiber said he will focus on complaints about getting tourist visas, with some visitors being deterred by the difficulties in securing permission to visit South Africa.
“There’s huge markets in China and India that are sending a lot of complaints through about how those processes are conducted,” he said.
To tackle the work permit problems the department is working with the help of resources from Business Unity South Africa, a grouping of the country’s biggest businesses, and Deloitte LLP, he said. He will meet with a unit of FirstRand Ltd. for further assistance. Schreiber also plans to revive the country’s Immigration Advisory Board.
Still, Schreiber touted some recent success.
Since April, the backlog of work permit, spousal visa and permanent residence applications has been cut by 30% to about 213,000, he said.
Home Affairs could “be central to addressing the skills shortage in South Africa,” he said. “That is not a curse. It’s a great opportunity.” V.5503

Australia’s plan to cap the number of new international students to 270,000 starting in 2025 has sparked widespread concern within the education sector. However, the proposal, which still needs parliamentary approval, is unlikely to have a significant impact on students from African countries planning to study in Australia. The National Planning Level (NPL) for 2025, which includes the limit on the number of international student enrolments, aims to reduce overall migration to pre-pandemic levels. V.5595
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Bethuel Ngobeni, Dumisa Moyo, Nhlanhla Magwaca, Moseki Sechele, Thabo Sechele and Khudzai Mashaya appear in court to face illicit gold mining charges. Image: Thapelo Morebudi An investigation into illicit gold mining has uncovered how one of the accused obtained a fraudulent identity document, 12 years after arriving in SA. V.5594
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• Lesotho has rekindled moves to implement localisation rules for certain types of businesses dominated by foreigners. • Indians, Chinese and South Africans dominate the 47 reserved businesses. • SA firms will be under pressure to use local distributors, and not contract Basotho labour via SA-based agents. V.5587
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Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally. CAPE TOWN - Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said that long queues, off-line systems, and paper-based applications at department offices would soon be a thing of the past. Schreiber said that plans were underway for the Department of Home Affairs to switch from working manually to digitally. V.5588
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‘There are various pathways and provisions in the law that recognise that people should not be stateless, and we are failing to ensure that these people have papers,’ says Global Movement Against Statelessness’ Christy Chitengu. Christy Chitengu was born in South Africa and regards herself as a South African, despite her parents being Zimbabwean. V.5589
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Inspection at workplaces set to increase Newly appointed home affairs minister Leon Schreiber will increase inspections at restaurants, spaza shops, farms and mines to heighten the crackdown on undocumented workers in these industries. Schreiber said while SA welcomes those who contribute to the country legally through skills, investments and as tourists, it needed to do more to combat illegal immigration. V.5592
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CAPE TOWN - Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says since March, his department already reported 109 cases of document fraud to its counter corruption unit. Three officials have been convicted and sentenced during this same period. V.5593
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Key Takeaways • As of August 28, Canada has banned temporary residents on visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country. • The policy`s early termination is part of IRCC`s efforts to manage the influx of temporary residents and combat immigration fraud. • Starting September 26, 2024, Canada will cut the number of temporary foreign workers by about 65,000. Canada has recently launched a new policy that prohibits temporary residents on visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country, a decision that significantly impacts their ability to work and stay in Canada. V.5583
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The United Kingdom has long been a favoured destination for South Africans seeking work or residency, thanks to shared language, time zones, and historical ties. However, according to JP Breytenbach from Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants, the profile of South African migrants is changing. “There is a significant increase in business migration, with companies aiming to expand into the UK as a gateway to Europe or the US,” he shared in an interview with Biznews. Many of these South Africans businesses feel they have reached a ceiling in their local markets or are tech entrepreneurs who believe their products are not yet viable in South Africa. This year, new UK immigration rules are set to take effect as the country seeks to limit net migration. V.5584
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Applicants who prefer hard copies of ZEP waiver letters will still be able to collect them at branches. Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, during the swearing-in ceremony of the new national executive members at Cape Town International Convention Centre on 3 July, 2024 in Cape Town. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced that the first batch of Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) waiver applications has been processed. ZEP holders will no longer need to go to Home Affairs branches to find out the outcome of their applications. The department will be sending them out digitally. V.5585
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