The University of Mpumalanga (UMP) is reviewing the appointment of its 38 foreign academics after Parliament questioned whether qualified South Africans were overlooked for lucrative university jobs.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa exclusively told Sunday World that the university has embarked on a fact-finding mission to review the 38 foreign academics, who, even if every one earned only UMP’s minimum lecturer remuneration, would collectively earn more than R30.4-million annually.
Appointment compliance
“The University has commenced a review of the appointments of foreign nationals that have been raised as matters of concern,” Meyiwa said.
“As part of this process, the University is examining the relevant appointment records and processes to determine whether the appointments complied with applicable legislative and institutional requirements.”
The review follows a recent bruising oversight visit by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education to UMP’s Mbombela campus, where lawmakers grilled management about its employment practices.
Also Read: MPs question dominance of foreign professors at some SA universities
Committee chairperson Walter Letsie demanded to know when each foreign academic was appointed and whether any had subsequently become naturalised South African citizens.
University management undertook to return to individual personnel files, explaining that many of its foreign academics had been recruited from other South African universities.
UMP has 256 academic employees, comprising 218 South Africans and 38 foreign nationals, meaning foreign academics constitute almost 15% of its academic workforce. Across the university’s total workforce of 706, it employs 40 foreign nationals. UMP says 39 hold valid work permits while one has refugee status.
But the controversy is not simply about whether the academics are legally entitled to work in South Africa.
MPs focused on whether UMP complied with the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014, which regulates the employment of foreign nationals and provides for measures aimed at ensuring employers first consider the availability of suitable skills within South Africa.
Return on investment
Committee member Yanga Govana said lawmakers were particularly concerned about South Africa’s return on investment after public money had been spent educating citizens, including PhD graduates, who remained unemployed.
“We have large groups of South Africans seated there as unemployed graduates and they can’t access the same privilege of being given citizenships elsewhere,” Govana said.
“It makes us so sad, as if there is a feeling of undermining our unemployed graduates, of undermining our own children and of not redressing the problem we are faced with as a country. All these employments took place when this Act was already in place.”
Govana was also disturbed by the concentration of foreign academics in some disciplines.
“There are ten foreigners in the agriculture department and nine in the mathematical and sciences department. I just want to understand the ratio,” she said.
The financial implications also caught Parliament’s attention.
UMP disclosed that lecturers earn a minimum of approximately R800 000 annually, increasing to R1-million for senior lecturers, R1.2-million for associate professors and R1.5-million for full professors.
International higher-education landscape
The debate comes against an international higher-education landscape where prestigious universities aggressively recruit talent across borders.
Oxford University says 48% of its academic staff come from outside the United Kingdom. Cambridge University reports that 35% of its academic staff and 57% of its research staff are from overseas.
Those figures dwarf UMP’s foreign academic proportion and illustrate the premium leading universities place on international intellectual talent.
But the question confronting UMP is different: it is not whether foreign academics belong in South African universities, but whether the university followed South African law when appointing them.
Meyiwa said the university was now comprehensively reviewing its Appointment Policy, including procedures governing foreign nationals.
“The university takes the concerns raised by Members of Parliament seriously,” she said.
UMP has already terminated the employment contracts of five foreign nationals during May and June 2026.
Meyiwa said the university would take further appropriate action where its review identifies problems.
“The university will ensure that any further action arising from the review is undertaken in accordance with applicable legislation, university policies and fair employment practices.”
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- The University of Mpumalanga (UMP) is reviewing the appointments of its 38 foreign academics following concerns raised by Parliament about possible overlooking of qualified South Africans.
- UMP's Vice-Chancellor Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa confirmed the review includes examining appointment records and compliance with legislative and institutional requirements.
- UMP employs 256 academic staff, with 38 foreign nationals making up almost 15% of that workforce, and has already terminated five foreign nationals' contracts in May and June 2026.
- Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education questioned whether UMP complied with the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014, aimed at prioritizing suitable South African skills before hiring foreign nationals.
- UMP disclosed lecturer salaries range from approximately R800,000 for minimum lecturers to R1.5 million for full professors, with foreign academics collectively earning more than R30.4 million annually at minimum pay rates.
Vice-Chancellor Professor
"
"As part of this process, the University is examining the relevant appointment records and processes to determine whether the appointments complied with applicable legislative and institutional requirements."
Also Read: MPs question dominance of foreign professors at some SA universities
Committee chairperson Walter Letsie demanded to know when each foreign academic was appointed and whether any had subsequently become naturalised
University management undertook to return to individual personnel files, explaining that many of its foreign academics had been recruited from other
UMP has 256 academic employees, comprising 218
But the controversy is not simply about whether the academics are legally entitled to work in
MPs focused on whether UMP complied with the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014, which regulates the employment of foreign nationals and provides for measures aimed at ensuring employers first consider the availability of suitable skills within
Committee member
"We have large groups of
"It makes us so sad, as if there is a feeling of undermining our unemployed graduates, of undermining our own children and of not redressing the problem we are faced with as a country. All these employments took place when this Act was already in place."
Govana was also disturbed by the concentration of foreign academics in some disciplines.
"
UMP disclosed that lecturers earn a minimum of approximately R800 000 annually, increasing to R1-million for senior lecturers, R1.2-million for associate professors and R1.5-million for full professors.
Oxford University says 48% of its academic staff come from outside the United
But the question confronting UMP is different: it is not whether foreign academics belong in
Meyiwa said the university was now comprehensively reviewing its Appointment Policy, including procedures governing foreign nationals.
"
UMP has already terminated the employment contracts of five foreign nationals during May and June 2026.
Meyiwa said the university would take further appropriate action where its review identifies problems.
"
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