South Africans have a reputation for being some of the hardest workers
in the world, with research in 2018 showing that our skilled workers
are used to putting in 43-hour plus work weeks on the regular.
This makes South African workers some of the most sought-after by
companies, and shoe-ins for the many skill visas on offer from
countries like Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
Statistics provided to BusinessTech by Stats NZ show that 2,953 South
Africans entered New Zealand on a work visa in 2018.
The ‘skill stream‘ is by far the most popular way for South Africans
to move to Australia, with a total of 4,419 South African applicants
on this visa type in 2016/17.
In New Zealand, approximately 7,900 South Africans made the move to
the island nation between 2017 and 2018 â€` and the UK is also a net
beneficiary of South African skills, adding approximately 7,300 South
Africans at last reporting (2017).
Below are the jobs that frequently feature on the skills lists of
Australia, New Zealand and the UK which will help South Africans land
a job in these countries.
________________________________________
UK
To combat a so-called ‘Brexodus’ â€` the departure of talented
professionals or companies leaving the UK due to Brexit â€` the UK’s
Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has updated its recommended
shortage occupation list (SOL) â€` adding new occupations to the list
and expanding current jobs to include all roles within that occupation.
The new list would include nearly 10% of jobs in the UK labour market,
compared with 1% under the current list.
Some of the most notable jobs on the revised recommended SOL list include:
• Civil engineers;
• Mechanical engineers;
• IT business analysts, architects and systems designers;
• Medical practitioners;
• Nurses;
• Teachers;
• Graphic designers;
• Web design and development professionals;
• Programmers and software development professionals;
• Dancers and choreographers;
• Chefs.

Australia
Australia has undergone a number of visa reforms over the last year in
a bid to curb high immigration levels.
This includes reducing the number of jobs which would be eligible for
a temporary visa by over 200 occupations and a possible ban on
immigrants moving to Sydney and Melbourne.
Immigration consultants, Sable International, said that while cities
like Sydney, Melbourne and Perth continue to become more developed,
rural areas in regional

Australia are slowly but surely becoming more
urban. In both the big cities and regional territories, the key skills
of trade workers are needed to keep this development going strong.
“The current supply of trade workers is simply not satisfying the
demand in Oz, which is why occupations like bricklayers, building
inspectors, plumbers and electricians continue to feature on
Australia’s list of eligible skilled occupations.”
However, they are not the only jobs in demand, and the Australian
Department of Home Affairs keeps a detailed list of these occupations
as well as the visa you would need to apply here.
These jobs include:
• Chef;
• Civil Engineer;
• Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher;
• Electrician (General);
• ICT Business Analyst;
• Landscape Architect;
• Life Scientist (General);
• Locksmith;
• Management Consultant;
• Occupational Therapist;
• Panelbeater;
• Registered Nurse;
• Software Engineer;
• Telecommunications Engineer;
• Zoologist.
New Zealand
New Zealand has published its updated Essential Skills in Demand
(ESID) lists for 2019, highlighting the jobs that foreigners could
help fill.
The country currently has three different lists â€` long term,
immediate and regional â€` that records the skill shortages it faces.
If a job is on a list, a New Zealand business can apply for a visa for
a qualified worker from overseas.
One of the most in-demand skills is teaching, as the country has faced
continued to face a teacher shortage in recent years.
New Zealand Immigration said that it is looking for early childhood,
primary school, and secondary school teachers across all regions.
In November 2018, New Zealand education minister Chris Hipkins said
that he would target countries with teaching qualifications that are
similar to New Zealand, including the UK, Ireland Canada, South
Africa, Australia and Fiji.
Other jobs which feature on the shortage list include:
• Clinical psychologist;
• Developer;
• Electrician;
• Engineering (chemical, electric, mechanical, structural);
• General Practitioner;
• ICT Project Manager;
• Physiotherapist;
• Programmer ;
• Software Engineer;
• Veterinarian; V.2885

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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