The goal of the remote visa programme, according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, is to boost tourism and draw in foreign investment, no matter where it comes from.
She emphasised that one of the main drivers of South Africa’s economy is tourism, pointing out that more tourists mean more jobs in the travel and hospitality industries.
According to Ntshavheni, who also emphasised that foreign investors must hire South Africans, the country’s capacity to attract foreign investments guarantees economic opportunities.
She claimed that this brought what she called “top-tier skills,” which are in short supply in South Africa.
Creation of jobs
According to her, the economy and industry will grow as a result of these in-demand skills and expertise, and job creation will follow economic expansion.
“Part of the target for the seventh administration is to create 2-million jobs by 2030, and that work of making sure that we have a visa regime that allows foreign direct investments and also the growth of tourism is to also make sure that local jobs are created,” she said.
The remote work visa, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, will allow high-paid foreign workers who do not compete with locals to spend foreign currency in South Africa, pay value-added tax to the Treasury, and buy domestic goods and services, all of which will promote job creation.
He pointed out that the new points-based system for skilled work visas will address corruption and inefficiency while giving highly skilled applicants more options.
A major suggestion from the 2023 work visa review, this system lays out a precise set of requirements for determining a person’s eligibility for a general work visa or a critical skills visa.
More reforms in the pipeline
Ramaphosa claims that it also seeks to improve skills at the top of the labour market while better safeguarding current jobs at the lower end.
These reforms remove bureaucratic barriers and are meant to make it easier for South African companies and multinationals to hire skilled workers, he explained.
They also aim to make South Africa a desirable destination for remote workers who want to combine work and tourism.
“Many more reforms are in the process with the aim of us achieving more rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, which is the top priority of the government of national unity,” the president said.
