As South Africa updates its National Critical Skills List to accurately reflect the scarce skills that businesses struggle to recruit locally, employers are being urged to contribute their skills shortage data early, rather than waiting until a draft list is published for public comment.
On 30 June 2026 the Minister of Home Affairs extended the temporary immigration concession for foreign nationals in South Africa whose travel has been disrupted due to flight limitations to countries affected by the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region.
Tuesday, 30 June 2026, was a day that the country approached with apprehension. Understandably so. With memories of the July 2021 unrest still fresh, planned marches against undocumented foreign nationals carried the real risk of triggering widespread violence and chaos.
Thankfully, that did not happen.
Africa remains one of the world’s most strategically important mining regions, hosting vast reserves of critical minerals including copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese, uranium, graphite and gold. These resources are essential to global supply chains and the energy transition, positioning the continent at the centre of long-term mining investment interest.
Progress on economic reforms in South Africa, investment potential and the realities of doing business in the country were the focus of a recent engagement at the Swiss Chamber in Johannesburg, which brought together the Deputy Minister of Finance, Ashor Sarupen, and executives from leading Swiss companies operating in South Africa.
