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South Africa's critical skills crisis intensifies, survey reveals

Dieketseng Maleke|Published

South Africa's critical skills shortage has worsened, with 84% of companies now struggling to recruit qualified professionals, up from 79% last year.

Image: File photo.

About 84% of South African of multinational and large companies are struggling to recruit the skilled professionals they need, a notable increase from 79% in 2024. This is according to Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director at Xpatweb, who says the talent search is intensifying across key sectors.

Jacobs notes that both formal qualifications and relevant work experience remain decisive in securing professionals for roles, particularly in engineering, ICT, healthcare, STEM education, media and marketing, and artisanal trades.

She emphasises that South Africa’s economic growth depends on its ability to attract and retain top talent, especially as global competition for critical skills intensifies.

According to Jacobs, employers continue to report difficulty sourcing skilled professionals locally, with many citing challenges in finding candidates who possess the right combination of academic credentials and practical experience.

The 2025 Xpatweb Critical Skills Survey, based on responses from 381 verified employers across various sectors, reveals that although recent immigration reforms have eased some visa and work permit barriers, companies still face stiff competition in attracting highly skilled talent.

To remain competitive, the report recommends that South Africa streamline visa and work permit processes, align immigration policy with international best practice, and position itself as a destination of choice for globally mobile professionals.

The survey outlines the specific experience and qualification levels sought by South African employers:

  • Engineers: Nearly 65% of companies require candidates with more than three years’ experience. Approximately 74% prefer applicants with undergraduate degrees (NQF 7) or higher.
  • ICT Specialists: 77% of employers seek professionals with 1 to 5 years’ experience, while 22% require 10 years or more. Over 90% demand a minimum of NQF 7 qualifications.
  • Artisans: Experience requirements typically range from 1 to 5 years. Around 69% of roles require NQF 4 or less, with demand for trades such as electricians, millwrights, fitters and turners, and instrumentation specialists varying between 7% and 25%.
  • Healthcare Professionals: 71% of employers require 1 to 3 years’ experience, while 29% seek candidates with more extensive backgrounds. Shortages are reported across roles, including registered nurses (especially surgical), industrial pharmacists, and laboratory scientists.
  • STEM Lecturers and Teachers: High demand exists for senior educators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. While 87% of employers are satisfied with 1 to 3 years’ experience, others prefer more seasoned professionals.
  • Media and Marketing Specialists: Jacobs observes a year-on-year decline in demand for creative designers and copywriters, attributing this shift to the growing impact of artificial intelligence on creative industries.

Jacobs reports that more than 80% of respondents rely on international talent to meet business needs. However, 77% of companies still face difficulties with the work visa process for foreign hires.

Key pain points include:

  • South African embassies and VFS Centres abroad, cited by 49% of respondents (up from 34% in 2024)
  • Professional body registration processes, 39% (down from 52%)
  • SAQA evaluation delays, 39% (down from 41%)
  • Occupations not listed on the Critical Skills List, 31% (down from 50%)

While some administrative burdens have eased, issues at embassies and visa centres remain a significant obstacle, Jacob says.

The report outlines five key recommendations to address South Africa’s critical skills gap:

  1. Streamline Talent Entry Simplify visa and permit processes, expand Trusted Employer Schemes, and digitise Home Affairs systems to reduce red tape and improve turnaround times.

  2. Align with Global Norms Update immigration policy to reflect international best practice, including direct work access for spouses and partners of expatriate professionals.

  3. Promote South Africa as a Talent Destination Position the country as an innovation-friendly economy with rich opportunities for skilled professionals.

  4. Invest in Evidence-Based Policy Use regular, data-driven studies to inform labour market interventions and track progress in closing skills gaps.

  5. Establish a Global Mobility Network Build international partnerships to attract and retain top-tier talent.

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