South Africa grapples with vocational training drive amid migrant labour shortage

South Africa continues to battle high unemployment, prompting a push for accessible vocational and business qualifications. The Waterfall School of Business, led by Professor Linda Meyer, promotes programmes that equip learners with job‑ready skills in management, marketing and sales, arguing that this pathway can shorten the transition to work and broaden future study options.

At the same time, the country is experiencing a sharp migrant labour shortage after more than 160,000 foreign workers fled following recent anti‑migrant unrest. Farms in KwaZulu‑Natal and factories in Durban report severe staffing gaps, with one sugarcane farmer losing 80% of his crew overnight. A Department of Employment and Labour inspection blitz found only three of 114 workplaces compliant with labour laws, exposing underpayment, excessive hours and lack of registration for social benefits. Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya highlighted violations such as paying below the legal minimum wage and locking workers inside facilities. Employers, who previously relied on cheaper migrant labour, now face an impasse between the need for workers and the illegality of past employment practices.