Your guide to working in South Africa as a foreign national

A company’s biggest asset is its employees, and the type of people you hire can have a major impact on your business. Providing employment for foreign nationals in South Africa is a great way to source highly skilled employees and diversify your workforce.

In this guide, we outline a few important rules to bear in mind as well as how to write a great CV that will get you noticed by recruiters in South Africa.

Rules regarding employment for foreign nationals in South Africa

The employment of foreign nationals is regulated by the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, which is commonly referred to as the Immigration Act.

When it comes to employing foreign nationals in SA, there are a few regulations potential employers will need to keep in mind.

8 Employer do’s and don’ts

Do try to ensure that no illegal foreigners are employed by your company
Don’t employ an illegal foreigner in South Africa
Do try to determine the citizenship or residence status of the foreign employee
Don’t employ any foreigners whose status does not allow them to be employed in South Africa
Do inform the Department of Home Affairs of any termination of employment as soon as possible
Don’t employ a foreigner in a capacity that is not in line with the foreigner’s visa requirements
Do inform the Department of Home Affairs of any breach of the foreigner’s status in South Africa
Do keep any relevant documents relating to the foreign employee for a minimum of 2 years following the termination of the foreigner’s employment

Key documents employers will need to keep on file

It’s important to note that employers will need to prove to the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa that the foreigners in your employment are legal. In order to do this, the following key documents will be required as proof:

A certified copy of the foreign employee’s passport
A copy of the their visa or permanent residence permit
Proof of the capacity in which the employer is employed. This must be in line with the employee’s visa
A copy of the foreigner employee’s IRP5 certificate of earnings and job description

How to create a CV for employment in South Africa

Whether you’re writing a CV for the very first time or updating your current CV as part of a new job search, knowing what South African recruiters expect can greatly increase your chance of having your CV get noticed.

How to create a CV on your phone

If you don’t have access to a PC or laptop it’s possible to create a CV on your mobile phone and email through your job application to potential employers.

We recommend installing an app such as Google Docs (free to use) or Microsoft Word (paid app) as they offer professional templates perfect for creating your CV.

In addition to Google Docs and Microsoft Word, there is the option of choosing CV Saver. It offers users access to a free CV creator that you can use on your phone, laptop or tablet. Simply register a free account and you will be able to create and download your C.V. as a PDF that you can print or attach to emails.

Key information to include on your CV

In order to write a great CV that gets you noticed by recruiters in South Africa, we recommend including the following information:

1) Your contact details such as email address or mobile number

2) Your employment history

3) Level of education

4) Any job references from previous employers

In what language should I write my CV in South Africa?

While there are 11 official languages in South Africa, we recommend choosing the English language for your CV. English is commonly spoken in the corporate world and will help to increase your chances of employment by prospective recruiters.

How to email your CV to employers

There are a few ways to email your CV from your mobile phone to potential employers when looking to apply for a new job.

How to email your Google Doc from an Android phone

Select your CV file in Google Drive by clicking the three dots on the file
Select “Send a copy” and choose “Word (.docx)” or “PDF document (.pdf)
Select your email app and a new email will open with your CV attached that you can send on to the employer

How to email your Word file from an Android phone

Select your CV file in Word by clicking the three dots on the top left-hand corner and select “Share”, “Share as an attachment”, “Document”, or “PDF”
A new email will open with your CV attached that you can send on to the employer

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