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South Africa’s Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has moved to tighten control over the employment of foreign nationals in the country through proposed amendments to the Employment Services Act.
The draft Employment Services Amendment Bill, which has been gazetted for introduction in Parliament, will allow the minister to set quotas for the employment of foreign workers in specific sectors, occupations and geographical areas.
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The move comes amid escalating protests and growing political pressure over the employment of foreign nationals in parts of the country, with some groups accusing businesses of overlooking South African job seekers.
The proposed changes also come as South Africa continues to battle a deep unemployment crisis. According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the country’s unemployment rate rose to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026 after the economy shed 345,000 jobs.
The number of unemployed people increased by 301,000 to 8.1 million, while the total number of employed South Africans dropped to 16.8 million.
In a Workers’ Day message earlier this month, Meth said the Bill aims to “modernise the regulation of the labour market” by addressing rising unemployment and the high representation of foreign nationals in certain lower-skilled sectors.
“The Employment Services Amendment Bill aims to modernise the regulation of the labour market. The primary focus is on the regulation of the employment of foreign nationals and enhancing job opportunities for South African citizens,” she said.
Meth said the proposed legislation has already been approved by Cabinet and has been taken to Parliament for further processing.
“The Bill amends the Employment Services Act 4 of 2014 to address rising unemployment and the high representation of foreign nationals in specific, lower-skilled sectors, and has since been approved by Cabinet and taken to Parliament for further processing,” she added.