It is ironical that thousands of South Africans have some of the skills that the Department of Home Affairs has specified as ‘scarce’ but have not been able to find even part-time jobs to make ends meet. The current conservative estimate of unemployment is said to be at 25% (according to Statistics South Africa), but the reality is that it could somewhere between 30 and 40%.
The newly published “Skills or qualifications determined to be critical for the Republic of South Africa in relation to an application for a Critical Skills Visa or Permanent Residence Permit” – Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002) – Section 19(4), to be read with Regulations 19(5), lists the following as being considered some of the critical skills.
The list of so-called critical skills includes the following:
Business, Economics and Management Studies
* Agricultural Engineer
* Agricultural Scientist
* Forestry Technician
* Sheep Shearer
* Architect
* Construction Project Manager
* Land Surveyor
* Quantity Surveyor
* Urban and Regional Planner
* Actuaries and Risk Assessors
* Corporate General Manager
* External Auditor
* Financial Investment Advisor
Information Communication & Technology
* CISCO Solution Specialist
* CISCO Engineers
* Solutions Architects in Telecommunications and ICT
* Integrated Developers (PHP, PERL, JAVA)
* Network Analyst
* IT Security Specialist
* System Integration Specialist
* Enterprise Architects
* Data Centre Operations
* Network Specialist (Security)
* Database Specialist
* Microsoft System Engineers
* Network Controllers
* AV Specialist (Anti-virus)
* Desktop Support Engineer
Engineering
* Energy Engineer
* Metallurgical Engineer
* Chemical Engineer
* Civil Engineer
* Electrical Engineer
* Electrical Installation Inspector
* Electronics Engineer
* Geologist
* Industrial and Production Engineers
* Industrial Designer
* Manufacturing Managers
* Materials Engineer
* Mechanical Engineer
* Mining Engineer
* Production/Operations Manager
* Quality System Manager
* Research and Development Manager
* Ship’s Engineer
* Telecommunications Engineers
* Electrical Engineering Technologist
* Energy Engineering Technologist
* Mechanical Engineering Technologist
* Metallurgical Engineering Technologist
* Mining Engineering Technologist
* Air Conditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber
* Automotive Electrician
* Automotive Motor Mechanic
* Boiler Maker
* Chemical Engineering Technologist
* Civil Engineering Technologist
* Diesel Mechanic
* Electronics Engineering Technologist
* Fitter and Turner
* Materials Engineering Technologist
* Mechatronics Technician
* Metal Fabricator
* Physical and Engineering Science Technicians
* Pressure Welder
* Structural Plaster
* Toolmaker
Health Professions and Related Clinical Science
* Medical Superintendant/Public Health Manager
* Public Health Physician
* General and Specialist Medical Practitioner
* Hospital Pharmacist
* Nursing Professionals
* Veterinarian
* Registered Nurse (child and family health)
* Retail Pharmacist
Life and Earth Sciences
* Environmental Engineers
* Environmental Manager
* Industrial Pharmacist
* Aquatic Scientist
* Animal Scientist
* Advanced Composites Engineering
* Archaeological/Paleontological Specialist
* Bioeconomist
* Biochemists
* Bioinformatician
* Bioinformaticist
* Biological Scientist
* Botanical Scientist
* Chemical Scientist
* Computational Biologist
* Environmental Scientist
* Ecological Scientist
* Food Scientist
* Engineering Geologist
* Geochemist
* Geohazards Specialist
* Geologist
* Geophycist
* Laboratory Technologist and Technician
* Marine Bioscientist
* Materials Scientist
* Metallurgical Scientist
* Metrology
* Microbiological Scientist
* Polymer Scientist
* Protein Scientist
* Seismologist
* Soil Scientist
* Toxicology Scientist
* Water Resource Scientist
Professionals and Associate Professional
* Land and Engineering Surveyors
* Electronic Engineering Technician
* Materials Engineering Technologist
* Electrical Engineering Technician
* Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Practitioner
* Draughtsperson
* Mechanical Engineering Technician
* Chemical Engineering Technician
* Organisation and Methods Analyst (Incl. scheduler, estimator)
* Surveying Technician
* Geomatics Technician
* Quantity Surveying Technician
* Civil Engineering Technician
* Materials Engineer Non-destructive Testing (NDT)
* Materials Engineering Technician – Road materials
* Materials Tester
* Construction Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Agent/Manager/Officer
* Aeronautical Engineering
* Architectural Senior Technologist
* Architectural Draughtsperson
* Astronomer
* Physicist (SKA)
* Geomagnetic Physicist
* Solar Physicist
* Space Physicist
* Plasma Physicist
* Space Technologist
* Space Weather Specialist
* Magnetic Technology Specialist
* Radar Engineering
* Radio Frequency Engineering
* Environmental Technologist
* Industrial Engineer
* Industrial Engineering Technologist
* Industrial Engineering Technician
* Landscape Architect
* Landscape Contract Manager
* Landscape Horticulturalist
* Mining Technician
Trades
* Millwright
* Boilermaker (For Strategic Infrastructure Projects)
* Industrial Machinery Mechanic
* Pipe Fitter
* Double Coded Welder
* Rigger
* Moulder
* Raise-bore Operators
* Raise-bore Foreman
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
* Software Development Engineers and Managers
* Systems Architects, Engineers and Managers
* Foreign Language speakers for specialist language support and technical or sales support (German, Swiss German, Flemish, Greek, Swedish, Danish, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and French)
* Business Analyst
* Quality Analyst
* Quality Assurance Specialist/Auditor
* Customer Service Manager/Team Lead
Academics and Researchers
* Doctoral Graduates (Acquired Abroad)
* Research in any of the following areas;
* Galaxy Formation and Evolution
* Galaxy Structure and Dynamics
* Pulsars and Black Holes
* Pulsars and Black Holes
* Pulsars and Gravitational Waves
* Deep Observations of the earliest Radio Galaxies
* Dynamic and Transient Burst
* VLBI Operations
* Search for CO to investigate role of Molecular Hydrogen
* Deep Surveyors of Neutral Hydrogen Gas in the Early Universe
* Cosmology and Dark Energy
* Cosmic Magnetism
* Calibration and Imaging of Radio Interferometer data
* Pulsar Research
* Pulsar and Gravitational Waves
* Signal Processing
* Observational Radio Astronomy in General
* Algorithm for Radio Astronomy
* Signal Processing for Radio Astronomy
* Supercomputing for Radio Astronomy
* Software Development for Radio Astronomy
* Data and Streaming- Real-Time Processing of Massive Data Amounts
* Green Computing- Extreme Performance at Minor Energy Cost
* Performance at Minor Energy Costs
* EMC and Spectrum Management
* Beam Modelling
* Antenna Modelling
* Feeds for Radio Astronomy Systems
* Receivers for Radio Astronomy Systems
* Signal Processing for Radio Astronomy
* High Speed Data Transport
* Nano-photonics-Data Transport Power
* Nanotechnology
* Palaeosciences
* Reduction over Short and Long Distances
* Antenna Design
* Antenna Foundation Design
* RFI Shielded Buildings and Facilities
* Advanced Manufacturing
* Space Science and Technology
* Global Change
* Energy Security
* Information Communication Technology
* Earth Observation
* Natural and Applied Sciences