Xpatweb News

Imagine you are a high-earning South African expatriate, well-compensated abroad, enjoying generous fringe benefits and filing your tax return from afar. Then a detailed audit letter from the Tax Man arrives, requesting payslips for specific months over a two-year period, full pay roll reconciliations, proof of foreign tax paid, a breakdown of international travel expenses, departure dates for trips and duration of the visit to each entity.

South Africa remains in competition with other emerging markets to attract global finance and investments, and the scarce skills that come with it to boost its economy. To become globally competitive, the country must solve its core issues around electricity supply and network industry challenges that hinder growth. This was the key message delivered by Deputy Minister of Finance Ashor Sarupen at the 5th Global Mobility Conference hosted by Xpatweb in Johannesburg on 13 August 2025.

The global talent war for specialists in artificial intelligence (AI) with deep technical knowledge and practical experience has officially reached South Africa.
The increasing number of South African companies reporting difficulty in filling skilled ICT, and media and marketing positions from the local talent pool is indicative of a strong drive to attract AI specialists, says Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director at Xpatweb, as she unpacks the preliminary findings of Xpatweb’s latest Critical Skills Survey.

A recent High Court order has confirmed that South African missions abroad must adhere strictly to the legal requirements set out in the Immigration Act and the accompanying Regulations, when accepting visa applications. The ruling is seen as a significant step in curbing the unlawful practice by some officials abroad demanding additional, unauthorised documents before accepting applications.

As of the 2022 Census, South Africa is home to over 2.4 million foreign-born residents, among them around 7,400 individuals originally from the United States. While Americans make up a small share of the expatriate population, signs indicate a growing interest in making South Africa a long-term home.