Due to the country’s high unemployment, South Africa will now limit employment quotas for other nationals, including Nigerians.
According to Bloomberg, South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is finalizing legislation that will limit the number of foreigners that businesses owned by South Africans can hire.
Three other pieces of legislation dealing with immigration and refugees are also being reviewed, according to the Minister.
Previously, there was no law dictating to South Africans the nationality of persons to hire, according to the minister.
“If you are a South African businessperson opening a restaurant or a factory, there is no law that tells you what to do; you can bring 100% foreign nationals or 100% South Africans,” Mr Motsoaledi explained.
“We’re saying there’s a problem with unemployment and the lack of quotas,” he added.
The Minister, who stated that the new quota laws had been in the works for several years, stated that it was due to an increase in the number of employed people.
“These are issues that have been raised and have been raised sharply now, obviously because unemployment is getting worse and worse, and also because Covid has exacerbated these challenges,” he explained.
Herman Mashaba, a former Mayor of Johannesburg, has always demanded that undocumented migrants be deported.
Last month, Julius Malema, the leader of the populist Economic Freedom Fighters party, attempted to coerce restaurant owners near Johannesburg to hire more South Africans than foreigners.
