The Presidency has identified the skills shortage as being the second biggest impediment to economic growth, after load shedding.
The Department of Home Affairs has been accused of exacerbating the process by failing to deal with the visa system. A government report has called for urgent reform to the system.
One business organisation has warned that delays in the process — for up to 48 weeks — threaten expansion plans, investment and jobs in South Africa.
Klaus Eckstein, senior representative for Bayer, the German multinational pharmaceuticals group in the region, says: ‘We are looking to expand. This is not helping anyone. It’s not helping South Africa. It’s not helping the business’.
The report estimated that for every skilled employee brought into the country, more than one other job is created. A 1% increase in imported skilled workers would boost GDP by 1.2%.
Political infighting and a crumbling civil service exacerbate the problem. Family residence permits are often not approved at the same time as work permits; the department’s computers download documents at a 60th of the speed of most banks; and documents are lost.
There is a lack of consistency in the handling of applications at different missions: one person might get a visa in ten days, others wait for over a year.
Trade union federation Cosatu is sceptical about the need to import skilled workers, and instead wants more money spent on training South Africans.
Some South African politicians have over the past few decades created ‘a mindset that inward migration is a threat’, said Jakkie Cilliers, the founder and former executive director of the Institute for Security Studies. ‘You have the presidency, home affairs and labour in direct opposition to one another’, he added.
[Full article in Techcentral https://techcentral.co.za/visa-chaos-investment-south-africa/234631/]