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The event could not have gone any better!
This year saw the launch of our inaugural Global Mobility Conference themed “Reinventing Mobility – A New Roadmap”.
The event could not have gone any better and proceedings took an extremely positive direction which turned into a deeply engaging experience. Attendees were treated to insightful presentations and invaluable networking opportunities!
We were joined by industry leaders and much respected speakers of prominence from all stakeholders in the industry, including the Department of Home Affairs, prominent Professional Bodies, Regulators and other Industry Leaders, who covered a wide range of important topics.
The purpose of the conference was to unpack the current landscape of immigration and mobility in South Africa and the wider African market. It proved a very timely event for professionals in the Global Mobility discipline, as the world opened for business post the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
THE LIST OF PROMINENT SPEAKERS INCLUDED
Mr Yusuf Simons – Acting DDG at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA)
Keynote Address. Delivered by Mr. Ben Makhalemele who emphasised the importance of security for the Department and quickly turned to the centralised adjudication system which became one of the most topical points of discussion for the day. He opened the floor and invited questions and debate early on, giving sobering yet hard-hitting answers to an engaged audience.
He highlighted the challenge of only 6 adjudicators currently assisting with pending visa applications, which is the catalyst of the very real issue of large volume backlogs and overdue applications. Business strongly argued the impact of the delays and need for solutions while Mr Makhalemele proactively engaged and satisfied the attendees with practical escalation measures leaving HR and mobility professionals with a sense of relief
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Prof. Keith Engel – CEO at South Africa Institute of Tax (SAIT)”
The value of foreign nationals in South Africa and policy as an enabler. Professor Engel was previously the Head of Policy at National Treasury and currently the CEO of the South African Institute of Tax; one of South Africa’s largest professional bodies. He was and remains instrumental in giving input to South African legislation and being from the United States, he has an in-depth academic and professional understanding from both a policy and practical perspectives. SAIT’s Chief Executive Officer, Keith Engel addressed the new Critical Skills list, the inclusion of tax professionals and the role of professional bodies in the process highlighting SAIT’s approach.
Jerry Botha – Managing Partner at Tax Consulting SA
Seven Laws of Remote Working and Three Bucket Solution. Jerry, the principal author of the Lexis Nexis textbook on Expatriate Tax, unpacked the seven laws of remote working that will assist business in determining their tax responsibilities. These rules included corporate presence; tax presence, labour presence; PAYE and social security; right to work, personal financial planning and consideration of the practicality of employing resources abroad. Jerry then went on to provide a three-bucket solution that companies should consider when hiring remote workers.
Tanya Tosen – Master Mobility Specialist at Tax Consulting SA
Mobility & Tax. Tanya has been at the front end of the international mobility review for some of South African’s largest international employers. Her sessions specifically covered latest leading practices with an emphasis of (a) knowing the cost of expatriation (b) employee certainty on take-home pay, and (c) past Covid and remote working practices developing. She spoke about the most cutting-edge approaches to global mobility.
Sonwabo Sibayi – Consul at the South African High Commission
Some insights from London. With over 20 years of experience in the United Kingdom, based at the High Commission at Trafalgar Square, he was and still is one of the most respected and recognised officials for service to his country. Sonwabo dialled in from the United Kingdom and from his personal perspective shared his journey, his personal account of his experience in London over the last decades. Specific areas covered would include support to South Africans living and working in the UK as well facilitating work visa applications for skilled expatriates to South Africa.
Jeremy Maggs – Master of Ceremonies
Panel Discussion. Jerry Maggs hosted a panel discussion which included top mobility professionals Nanda Scott, Group Chief Human Capital Officer from Inq; Menushka van der Westhuizen, Head of HR at Saint Gobain and Shargani Pillay, Remuneration and Benefits Manager at JTI. The discussion brought to light mobility challenges organisations faced during the pandemic and how different organisations have implemented an array of solutions.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EVENT
Watch Jeremy share his key takeaways and gives a brief recap on some of the highlights of the conference:
To give you a hint of what went down, you can view the event program here:
READ MORE ABOUT THE EVENT BELOW | AS FEATURED IN THE MEDIA
SONWABO SIBAYI: INSIGHTS FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS IMMIGRATION MANDATE
DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS ADDRESSES BACKLOG AT XPATWEB MOBILITY CONFERENCE
ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TOP TALENT: HR EXPERTS WEIGH IN
SAQA PROCESSES: PROCESSING TIMEFRAMES AND STUMBLING BLOCKS
TESTIMONIAL
It was not only informative and very stimulating but a personally enriching experience, thank you!!!! The Xpatweb Team and brand should be very proud of the professionalism and content that was on display.
– Croydon Schmidt
We’re pleased to announce that this will now be an annual event where we bring experts in the mobility field to you. Be sure to keep an eye on our LinkedIn and Facebook for more info and let us know if you have any burning questions or topics you would like for us to cover at our next event.
We look forward to hosting you.