The South African government is intensifying efforts to enforce immigration and labour laws, with Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya confirming plans to recruit 10,000 new labour inspectors to target employers hiring undocumented foreign nationals.
The announcement follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Sunday address, in which he stated that every person working in South Africa must do so legally and warned that legislation targeting non-compliant employers is set to become significantly tougher.
Speaking on the enforcement challenges, Sibiya acknowledged the department currently operates with only 2,300 inspectors responsible for monitoring more than 2 million companies nationwide. “We can acknowledge that we don’t have enough numbers when it comes to the inspectors in the department of employment and labour,” Sibiya said. “But we have enhanced the work we are doing… focused more on the issue of inspection and enforcement.”
The planned recruitment of 10,000 inspectors—which would more than double the department’s total workforce of approximately 9,000 employees—is expected to begin imminently. Sibiya indicated that new inspectors could be deployed between the third and fourth quarters of the current financial year, following necessary training.
“These are not just ordinary workers. They are specialized workers: engineers, people with LLB degrees, environmental scientists—highly capable, highly educated,” Sibiya explained, emphasizing that thorough training is essential to ensure inspections withstand legal scrutiny.
The initiative, first announced by President Ramaphosa during the February State of the Nation Address, requires significant logistical preparation. “We need offices, tools of trade, cars… these inspectors need to drive to farms, to the remotest B&Bs, hotels, factories,” Sibiya noted.
Parallel to the recruitment drive, the Employment Services Bill and the National Labor Migration Policy—both finalized by Cabinet—are now before Parliament. Sibiya stated these frameworks will enable harsher penalties, including fines up to R100,000 and potential criminal charges for employers who continue to hire undocumented workers. “The parliamentary process is not in our hands… It’s up to parliamentarians to make sure this process is fast-tracked,” he added.
While awaiting legislative finalization, the department continues joint operations with the South African Police Service and the Department of Home Affairs. Sibiya cited recent enforcement actions: approximately 21–22 arrests in Newcastle, 15 in Mossel Bay, and 79 at a Cape Town construction site. “A number of employers have been charged, and we have made sure that those employers don’t continue employing illegal foreign immigrants,” he said.
Addressing concerns about corruption and inconsistent enforcement, Sibiya affirmed the department’s commitment to ethical conduct. “I can vouch for our inspectors… If there’s anyone who has anything against our inspectors, please bring it to us. We’ll get rid of any inspector who turns a blind eye.”
Sibiya stressed that resolving illegal employment is a sustained effort, not an overnight fix. “We’re embarking on a program where we need to intensify law enforcement… and make sure that we are dealing with the employers who are employing them, because the people creating the demand for them to come into our country are the employers.”
With presidential mandate, inter-departmental collaboration, and a major expansion of inspection capacity underway, the government signals a decisive shift toward stricter compliance with South Africa’s immigration and labour laws.
