South Africa's recent immigration reforms are positioning the country as an increasingly attractive destination for international companies and highly skilled foreign professionals.
Xpatweb explained that South Africa's strides in modernising its immigration framework were showcased as key highlights at the recent Permits Foundation Roundtable in Paris, France.
In particular, the progress towards direct work access for the accompanying spouses and partners of expatriates to attract foreign talent was highlighted.
The Permits Foundation, an international body advocating for direct work access for spouses, hosted leading multinational mobility practitioners and executives at the event on 16 October 2025.
The foundation's director, Helen Frew, emphasised the headway they have made since their inception in 2001 and underscored the importance of South Africa as a high-priority country for their advocacy efforts.
Xpatweb managing director Marisa Jacobs, who also serves on the Immigration Advisory Board to Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreider, presented changes to the South African immigration regime in the last 18 months.
She outlined key updates that mark a turning point for international companies and skilled foreign professionals considering South Africa as a destination, highlighting three major policy shifts.
First, the Trusted Employer Scheme, introduced on 1 March 2024, allows vetted employers to benefit from reduced documents, faster processing times and less red tape.
The scheme has been praised for its success, with 80% of participating employers confirming in the 2025 Xpatweb Critical Skills Survey improved outcomes in securing work visas for foreign hires.
A second round of applications is expected before year-end, with high interest from companies eager to be part of this highly efficient visa system.
Second, the Remote Work Visa allows many spouses of expatriates to continue to work for their international employers while relocating to South Africa with their spouse on assignment.
However, Jacobs cautioned that while the visa offers flexibility, it comes with tax complexities, which require careful planning from those pursuing this option.
This includes no automatic tax relief for visa holders and potential permanent establishment risks for foreign employers.
Finally, the recent publishing of the White Paper on National Labour Migration Policy on 28 May 2025 by the Department of Employment and Labour supports "automatic issuance of work visa for spouses".
It cites this as a decisive factor in retaining highly skilled migrants. The department added that this benefit should also be extended to the spouses of Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa holders.
The support from the Labour Department is a big win in backing a legislation change with the Department of Home Affairs to introduce the direct work access benefit to accompanying spouses.
The potential impact of this policy is evident from the Permits Foundations' latest survey, which states that 88% of the partners of critical skills expats hold a Bachelor's degree and higher qualification, with 55% having a Master's degree.
These immigrants are highly skilled talent in their own right and a talent pool South Africa could gain immediate access to.
The point is further supported by statistics cited by South Africa's Deputy Finance Minister, Ashor Sarupen, at the Xpatweb Global Mobility Conference in August 2025.
"For every one highly skilled employee brought into the country, seven unskilled jobs are created," Sarupen said.
Jacobs also shared insights from the upcoming Xpatweb Critical Skills Survey 2025 ahead of its official release on 28 October 2025. Key findings include -
South Africa remains a key investment destination for many multinationals, and discussions at the roundtable focused on both the remaining visa hurdles and the recent improvements.
These garnered support for continued progress and momentum behind ongoing digitisation efforts, which have employers optimistic.