In 2026, South Africa has taken a harder stance against undocumented immigration, stepping up workplace inspections and putting greater pressure on employers who hire foreign nationals without valid work authorisation.
On May 21, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told Parliament that 8,180 employers had been charged over the previous five years for employing foreign nationals without valid work permits.
“Enforcement measures implemented to strengthen compliance with immigration laws include interventions and disruptions through inspections that are intelligence-driven, as well as rapid responses [to] reported incidents that require operations/inspections,” Schreiber said in response to a parliament question from Mnqobi Msezane.
He added that penalties and sanctions against employers who hire foreign nationals without valid work permits were imposed under the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
Originally published by TechCabal.