South Africa’s government has officially opened a second window for its Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), allowing businesses to express interest in the programme until September 4, 2026. This significant initiative aims to streamline the hiring process for foreign nationals and is part of a broader, concerted effort to attract and manage critical skills within the country more effectively. The Department of Home Affairs previously launched the TES to simplify immigration processes for compliant employers, recognising the vital role foreign expertise plays in economic development. This latest opening of the second window shows the government's commitment to enhancing South Africa's competitiveness on the global stage by facilitating the entry of essential talent. The scheme is designed to reduce bureaucratic hurdles, thereby making it easier for businesses to secure the specialized skills they need to grow and innovate.
Expanded Scheme Details
The second phase of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) significantly broadens its scope to include additional categories of businesses, thereby expanding its reach and potential impact. Notably, this phase now encompasses businesses involved in critical infrastructure projects. This expansion is a strategic move to support large-scale national development initiatives that often require highly specialized international expertise. Companies establishing Global or Regional Head Offices in South Africa are also now eligible to participate in the expanded scheme. This particular inclusion aims to attract multinational corporations to establish their regional operational hubs in South Africa, bringing with them investment, job creation, and further economic growth.
To accommodate this broadened scope and diverse range of applicants, the TES has introduced three distinct assessment pathways for interested employers. These pathways are tailored to different types of businesses and their specific contributions to the South African economy.
Pathway 1 for the TES requires companies to demonstrate a proven fixed capital investment exceeding R100-million in their South African-based operations since 2018. This criterion is designed to identify and support businesses that have made substantial, long-term financial commitments to the country's economy. In addition to this significant investment, applicants under Pathway 1 must ensure that at least 60% of their staff complement consists of South African citizens or Permanent Residents. This ensures that while critical foreign skills are attracted, there remains a strong emphasis on local employment and skills transfer, fostering inclusive economic growth.
Pathway 2 is specifically designed for companies establishing Regional or Global Head Offices within South Africa. The assessment for these entities is primarily based on their substantial tax contributions and their firm commitments to local employment. Specifically, Pathway 2 necessitates that these companies contribute Corporate Income Tax and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) totalling more than R500-million cumulatively over the last two tax years. This high threshold for tax contributions notes the government's intention to attract financially strong and economically significant enterprises that will contribute substantially to the national fiscus. Their commitments to local employment further reinforce the scheme's objective of benefiting South African citizens.
A third pathway, Pathway 3, is exclusively dedicated to the Synthetic Financial Centre (SFC). This specialized pathway acknowledges the unique operational requirements and economic contributions of entities within the financial services sector, particularly those involved in advanced financial instruments and operations. The inclusion of a dedicated pathway for the SFC shows South Africa's ambition to position itself as a leading financial hub on the continent, attracting global financial talent and investment.
All expressions of interest for the TES must be submitted electronically through the Department of Home Affairs’ online portal. This digital submission process is designed to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accessibility for all applicants. To be considered for the scheme, applicants are required to achieve a minimum score of 80 in their application. This scoring system ensures that only highly compliant and genuinely beneficial employers are granted Trusted Employer status, maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the scheme.
Key Benefits and Criteria
Outcomes for applications submitted during the second window of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) are anticipated within 30 working days following the closing date. This expedited processing time is a key feature designed to provide certainty and allow businesses to plan their international recruitment efforts more effectively. Companies that achieve Trusted Employer status benefit from several significant advantages aimed at streamlining the immigration process for their foreign personnel. One key benefit is the priority processing of visa applications for their employees. This means that applications from personnel sponsored by Trusted Employers are fast-tracked, reducing waiting times and allowing critical staff to commence their roles sooner.
This status also leads to significantly reduced supporting documentation requirements, simplifying the administrative burden for participating businesses. Instead of submitting extensive paperwork for each individual application, Trusted Employers benefit from a more streamlined process, saving time and resources. The Trusted Employer status provides a more predictable immigration process for critical foreign personnel, allowing companies to plan their staffing needs with greater certainty and less risk of delays. This predictability is invaluable for businesses operating in fast-paced or project-driven environments. The overall aim of these benefits is to create an environment where businesses can confidently attract and retain the international talent necessary for their growth and for South Africa's economic development.
The criteria for qualification under the TES are full and designed to ensure that participating companies are not only economically beneficial but also responsible corporate citizens. These criteria include demonstrating strong financial strength, ensuring the long-term viability and stability of the employer. Another key criterion involves running full training programmes specifically for South African citizens, thereby contributing directly to local skills development and capacity building. Applicants must exhibit good corporate citizenship, which encompasses adherence to labour laws, ethical business practices, and a commitment to contributing positively to the broader South African society. These requirements aim to ensure that participating companies contribute positively to the South African economy and workforce development in a holistic manner. A notable change in the scheme's criteria for this second window is that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) status is no longer a mandatory qualifying condition for TES applicants. This adjustment reflects an effort to broaden the accessibility of the scheme to a wider range of international and local businesses while maintaining other stringent qualification standards.
Previous Success and Outlook
Expressions of interest for the second window of the Trusted Employer Scheme are scheduled to open on July 20, 2026, marking the official commencement of the application period. The window will then remain open for submissions until its closing date on September 4, 2026. This extended period provides ample opportunity for eligible businesses to prepare and submit their applications.
The initial phase of the scheme, which sought to streamline the hiring of foreign nationals, proved to be a significant success. It approved 71 companies for participation, demonstrating the government's commitment to partnering with reputable employers. These companies were granted Trusted Employer status, enabling them to benefit from expedited visa processing and reduced documentation requirements for their international employees. The positive outcomes from the first round serve as a strong foundation for the expanded second phase.
The first round of the Trusted Employer Scheme successfully facilitated the recruitment of 246 software engineers for participating businesses. This initiative aimed to address critical skills shortages within South Africa's technology sector by simplifying the immigration process for highly skilled foreign professionals. By providing a more predictable pathway for companies to secure the necessary expertise, the scheme contributed significantly to the growth and development of the nation's digital economy, fostering innovation and competitiveness. The ability to attract such a substantial number of specialized professionals shows the scheme's effectiveness in meeting industry demands.
In addition to software engineers, the first TES round also assisted in the recruitment of 147 nuclear engineers specifically for Eskom, the state-owned power utility. This critical recruitment drive supported Eskom in addressing its specialized staffing needs, particularly within its complex nuclear energy operations, which are vital for national energy security. The scheme’s ability to attract such highly specialized personnel, essential for strategic national industries and infrastructure projects, further notes its key role in supporting key sectors of the South African economy. This success demonstrates the TES's capacity to deliver tangible results in addressing specific, high-priority skills gaps across various industries.
