For years, South Africa’s immigration system has been criticised for being slow, bureaucratic and difficult to navigate. Businesses have repeatedly argued that lengthy visa processing times make it harder to recruit highly skilled professionals, delaying investments and limiting economic growth. In response, the Department of Home Affairs has launched Phase II of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), an expansion of a programme designed to simplify the employment visa process for qualifying businesses while maintaining the integrity and security of the country’s immigration system.
Gazetted on Monday, the second phase of the scheme signals another step in the department’s effort to modernise South Africa’s immigration framework. According to the Department of Home Affairs, the initiative aims to reduce unnecessary administrative barriers, attract domestic and foreign investment, support strategic industries and ultimately contribute to economic growth and job creation. While the announcement has been welcomed by many in the business community, it also raises important questions about how the programme works, who stands to benefit, and what it could mean for South Africans seeking employment.
The Trusted Employer Scheme is an accreditation programme rather than a visa itself. Instead of changing immigration laws, it changes the way qualifying employers interact with the visa application process. Businesses that meet strict government requirements can apply to become accredited employers. Once approved, these employers receive a more streamlined process when applying for work visas on behalf of foreign employees with specialised or critical skills. The objective is to reduce delays that have historically discouraged investment and made it difficult for companies to fill positions requiring expertise that may not be readily available within South Africa.
A central feature of TES is its risk-based approach. Rather than subjecting every employer to the same level of scrutiny, Home Affairs identifies businesses with a proven track record of compliance, investment and responsible employment practices. Accredited companies are considered lower risk and therefore benefit from a simplified and faster visa process. This allows immigration officials to focus more resources on applications that require greater investigation, improving efficiency without compromising national security or border integrity.
Phase II significantly expands the categories of businesses that may qualify. The programme now includes companies involved in strategic infrastructure projects, businesses establishing regional or global headquarters in South Africa, and qualifying entities operating within the financial sector. These sectors were selected because of their potential to stimulate economic activity, attract capital, create employment opportunities and position South Africa as a competitive destination for international business.
Strategic infrastructure projects include developments that contribute directly to the country’s long-term economic capacity, such as energy generation, transport networks, logistics infrastructure, telecommunications, water systems and major industrial developments. These projects often require highly specialised engineers, technicians, project managers and other professionals whose expertise may be scarce in the domestic labour market. By reducing visa processing times for these critical skills, government hopes projects can begin sooner, experience fewer delays and generate economic benefits more quickly.
The inclusion of businesses establishing regional or global headquarters is equally significant. When multinational corporations choose a country as their regional base of operations, they often invest substantial amounts in office space, technology, professional services and local supply chains. Such headquarters also create employment opportunities for South Africans in administration, finance, legal services, information technology, marketing, human resources and executive management. Government hopes a more efficient immigration system will encourage more international companies to choose South Africa as their African headquarters instead of competing destinations.
The financial sector’s inclusion reflects its importance to South Africa’s economy. Banks, insurance companies, fintech firms and investment institutions increasingly compete internationally for specialised talent in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantitative finance, software engineering and risk management. Faster recruitment of these highly skilled professionals could strengthen South Africa’s financial competitiveness while supporting innovation within the sector.
However, the scheme is not open to every employer. Companies must first demonstrate that they make a meaningful contribution to South Africa’s economy. Among the key qualifying requirements is evidence of substantial investment within the country, whether through infrastructure, business expansion or long-term operations. Businesses must also employ predominantly South African citizens or permanent residents, ensuring that foreign recruitment supplements rather than replaces the local workforce. In addition, participating employers are expected to invest in skills development, contributing to the transfer of knowledge that can strengthen South Africa’s domestic talent pool over time. Priority is also given to businesses operating in sectors identified as strategically important to national economic growth.
To maintain fairness and accountability, applications will not be approved automatically by Home Affairs alone. Instead, they will be assessed independently by an interdepartmental committee, bringing together expertise from multiple government departments. This merit-based evaluation process is intended to ensure that accreditation is awarded only to businesses that genuinely meet the programme’s economic and compliance requirements, reducing opportunities for abuse or preferential treatment.
Another major development accompanying Phase II is the introduction of a dedicated online application portal. Instead of relying on traditional paper-based systems, employers will submit applications digitally, reducing administrative delays and improving transparency. This digital platform represents an important step towards Home Affairs’ broader modernisation strategy and will eventually be integrated into the department’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) platform.
The ETA system is expected to become one of the most significant technological upgrades in South Africa’s immigration system. Similar to electronic travel authorisation systems already used in countries such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, the platform will allow many immigration processes to be completed digitally before a traveller arrives in South Africa. By incorporating TES into this system, government hopes to create faster, more secure and more efficient processing for employers, skilled workers and immigration officials alike.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has described the expanded scheme as evidence that the department is evolving from being viewed as an administrative obstacle to becoming an economic enabler. According to the Minister, reducing bureaucratic barriers can encourage investment, accelerate business activity and support the Government of National Unity’s primary objective of expanding the economy to create sustainable employment opportunities.
Nevertheless, the success of the programme will ultimately depend on its implementation. South Africa has introduced several economic initiatives in the past that showed promise but were undermined by administrative inefficiencies, inconsistent execution or inadequate oversight. The Trusted Employer Scheme will therefore be measured not by the number of accredited companies alone, but by whether it genuinely shortens visa processing times, attracts new investment, creates employment opportunities and strengthens confidence in South Africa as a destination for global business.
There are also legitimate concerns that deserve careful consideration. Some South Africans may fear that making it easier to recruit foreign professionals could reduce opportunities for local workers. However, the programme is specifically designed to address shortages in critical and specialised skills rather than replace the domestic workforce. The requirement that participating businesses employ predominantly South Africans and invest in local skills development is intended to ensure that international expertise complements, rather than competes with, local talent. Effective monitoring will be essential to ensure these safeguards are consistently enforced.
Expressions of interest for Phase II opened on 20 July 2026 and will close on 4 September 2026, after which qualifying businesses will undergo the accreditation assessment process. If successfully implemented, the Trusted Employer Scheme could become one of the country’s most important economic reforms, balancing the need to attract global expertise with the responsibility to develop local skills and create sustainable employment. Whether it achieves those ambitions will depend on efficient administration, transparent oversight and government’s ability to ensure that faster immigration processes translate into tangible economic benefits for South Africans.