It will take SA some time to produce enough skilled people to grow economy - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the lack of certain skills meant that the country must source them internationally, at least in the short-term.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation Address to the Joint Sitting of Parliament at the Cape Town City Hall on 8 February 2024. Picture: @ParliamentofRSA/X
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa said that it would take some time before South Africa was able to produce enough skilled people to grow the country's economy.
Ramaphosa said that a review report published last year found that the country's labour supply "does not match demand" from companies looking to employ "management-level personnel" and other professionals like engineers and science and maths educators.
The president wrote in his latest weekly newsletter on the need to attract the right "critical skills" to boost the country's ailing economy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the lack of certain skills meant that the country must source them internationally, at least in the short term.
He said that international experience showed that employees with these "critical skills" contributed to improved productivity.
Ramaphosa said that South Africa was fast becoming an attractive destination for industries like "business process outsourcing" and attracting more skilled workers would be important.
He said that last year, a leading international strategic advisory firm ranked South Africa second as the "most favoured offshore customer experience delivery destination globally".
Ramaphosa also wrote that one solution was the publishing for public comment draft amendments to existing immigration regulations that would significantly boost the country’s efforts to attract workers with critical skills.
He said that the draft amendments dealt with two visa categories: a remote working visa and the critical skills visa.