The short answer 

Yes, if they are dependent, aged between 18 and 23, and studying. They'll need temporary residence first. 

The whole question

I have been living in South Africa since 2007 as a diplomat with my children. They were minors when we moved. Now that they are adults, they want to apply for permanent residency here. What are the conditions for them to achieve this?

The long answer

It seems, from a Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) circular issued in 2021 in terms of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act 37 of 2001, that only dependent children above 18 and below 23 years will be registered and accredited if they are studying and this can be proved. If they are not studying, the diplomat must give reasons why they should be considered dependent. 

In the same circular, it says that a dependent child cannot work for money in South Africa unless they have a work permit, for which they have applied through a South African mission.

The circular goes on to state that only spouses and dependent children over 16 years of age will be issued diplomatic identity cards, provided they are studying. If they are accredited, DIRCO will issue temporary residence permits, which are issued for up to a year and have to be renewed annually.  

Even though they have lived here since 2007, it seems that before your children can apply for direct permanent residence, they must first have temporary residence permits. 

You would also know that in February 2022, the Minister of Home Affairs withdrew the 2016 waiver that allowed foreigners who graduated from a South African institution with a qualification in a critical skills field to apply for permanent residence in terms of section 27 (b) of the Immigration Act. The waiver had removed the requirement for graduates to have five years of post-qualification experience before applying for permanent residence, but it has now been withdrawn.

Permanent residence permits (section 26 of the Immigration Act) can only be applied for once a foreigner has lived for a minimum of five years in South Africa on the basis of a work permit. The permanent resident’s spouse and dependent children can also apply for permanent residence.

As you will know, Home Affairs abruptly closed applications for permanent residence in 2020, at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, and only re-opened applications for permanent residence in January 2022. That means that as there was a large backlog even before the closure, it is estimated that they may now have a backlog of some120,000 applications, which means, in turn, that applications could take up to five years to finalis

The short answer 

Everyone born in South Africa has the right to a birth certificate. You should be able to get a copy from Home Affairs. 

The whole question

How can I get a copy of my child's lost birth certificate? He was born in South Africa, but both his mother and I are Congolese. 

The long answer

The Home Affairs website says: “Undocumented Foreign Nationals who are born in South Africa are issued with a certificate free of charge on registration of their births.”

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town says that children born to two non-South Africans and who do not qualify for citizenship are entitled to a birth certificate according to the Births and Deaths Registration Act. But in those cases, children are given birth certificates that do not include an ID number and the child is not entered into the National Population Register.

Home Affairs must have a copy of the birth certificate, and you would have to fill in form B1—154 and submit it to Home Affairs to get a copy. That is the form that South Africans must complete to get a replacement birth certificate and I could not find any different instructions for foreign parents whose child was born here. 

It could take six to eight weeks to replace the birth certificate and the application fee is R75.00.

If you encounter difficulty at Home Affairs in getting the birth certificate, you could ask one of the following organisations for assistance:

The prospect of a business-friendly South African government has drawn foreign investors back to the country’s stock market, with inflows reaching levels last seen more than two years ago.
Non-residents have been net buyers of R7.5 billion of South African equities in the 10 trading sessions through Friday, according to JSE data compiled by Bloomberg.
That’s a 10-day daily average of R936 million rand, the highest since March 2022.
President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a new cabinet on Sunday that he said would prioritize rapid and sustainable economic growth.
The announcement followed weeks of negotiations after an election on May 29 in which his African National Congress party lost its outright majority for the first time in three decades.
Before the turnaround of the past two weeks, foreign investors had been net sellers of South African stocks to the tune of R84.6 billion ($4.7 billion) amid concerns about a stagnating economy, fiscal challenges and transport logjams.
Investors also feared a coalition between the ANC and one or more of its leftist rivals.
Johannesburg’s benchmark stock index jumped more than 1% on Monday, closing in on a year-to-date high.

The Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) critical skills list shows that several technology-related jobs are in high demand in South Africa.

The list highlights the professions that qualify for South African critical skills work visas, making it a crucial resource for local businesses.

Such visas are only issued to individuals with skills or qualifications deemed critical for the country.

Former minister Aaron Motsoaledi recently announced changes to South Africa’s work visa system, including the critical skills list.

President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned the reforms during his 2023 State of the Nation Addresses.

“Having completed a comprehensive review of the work visa system, we will move quickly to implement the recommendations put forward,” said Ramaphosa.

“These include establishing a more flexible points-based system to attract skilled immigration, implementing a trusted employer scheme to make the visa process easier for large investors and streamlining application requirements.”

Motsoaledi gazetted the amendments to the regulations in May 2024.

Companies can now also expedite the gazetting process for critical skills that are seen as essential, removing the four-year waiting period that was previously in effect.

This should facilitate swift approval for in-demand skills. The new regulations also effectively replace the critical skills list with a new points-based system.

It is designed to eliminate the need to require a letter from the Department of Labour for General Work visas.

The points system is based on factors including age, qualifications, and work experience to determine visa eligibility.

Motosaledi’s department also introduced a new work-related visa designed for individuals who want to work in South Africa while under foreign employment.

The Remote Work visa targets high-earning individuals with the hope of stimulating the economy.

South Africa has been losing large numbers of skilled professionals to emigration, making it critical to attract individuals with specific skills to the country.

Ramaphosa alluded to this during his 2024 State of the Nation address and acknowledged the introduction of the reformed visa system.

“Just this week, we published new regulations to reform our visa system, which will make it easier to attract the skills that our economy needs and create a dynamic ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Ramaphosa.

The skills on the DHA’s list relate primarily to specialist medical and health professionals. However, it includes several tech qualifications, including electronic engineering technologist and engineering management skills.
Critical technology skills

Most critical skills in the published list require a bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma as a minimum requirement, with only one requiring an intermediate certificate.

A summary of the critical tech skills list is provided in the table below.
Critical tech skills in South Africa
Job/Skill Qualification
Engineering manager Bachelor honours degree, postgraduate diploma, or Bachelor’s degree
Chief information officer Bachelor honours degree, postgraduate diploma, or Bachelor’s degree
Data management manager Bachelor honours degree, postgraduate diploma, or Bachelor’s degree
Industrial engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Civil engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Mechanical engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Aeronautical engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Chemical engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Agricultural engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Electricial engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Electronics engineer Bachelor honours degree, postgraduate diploma, or Bachelor’s degree
Energy engineer Bachelor honours degree, postgraduate diploma, or Bachelor’s degree
Energy engineering technologist Diploma or advanced certificate
Multimedia designer Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
ICT systems analyst Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Data scientist Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Software developer Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Programmer analyst Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Developer programmer Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Multimedia specialist (incl. game and web development) Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Applications programmer Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Computers quality ensurance analyst Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Computer and network systems engineer Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Network analyst Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
ICT security specialist Bachelor’s degree or advanced diploma
Electronic engineering technician Diploma or advanced certificate
Mechanical engineering technician Diploma or advanced certificate
Metatronics technician Intermediate certificate

New cabinet must harness goodwill and drive decisive action for SA’s economic revival, says

It was a long time in the making, but last night’s announcement of a final agreement for a Government of National Unity and the cabinet sets us on a new course. We are finally at the starting line of the new administration, but its success will depend on the deals done over the last month. The agreements set the foundation. The firmer they are, with all sides understanding exactly their roles and responsibilities, the more stable and effective we can expect this coalition government to be. For that reason, I hope our patience will be rewarded.
The new cabinet must work together for the common good of all South Africans. While last night’s announcement will take some time to digest, I hope we will come to see the individuals appointed as men and women of integrity and professionalism. The president last night highlighted the professionalisation of the public service as an agreed priority of the new GNU. That needs to start at the top, among the political leaders who oversee it.
He also noted that all parties have agreed to prioritise the creation of rapid inclusive and sustainable economic growth. That is critical to our future. South Africa stands out in the world for having experienced almost no growth in over a decade with the average citizen getting poorer in that time. We are among very few countries in the world that the International Monetary Fund had expected to continue to see declining per capita growth over the next five years. The huge unemployment rate is an obvious consequence, as well as the stress on public finances. This new government has an opportunity to change that.
The new administration will find goodwill from many quarters, both here and abroad. There has already been a vote of confidence from investors, and the finalisation of the GNU will support that. Business is looking forward to working with the new administration to deliver �` we are fully aligned with the President’s agenda to drive economic growth.
Those who are now in cabinet bear a heavy responsibility to put the national interest first. They have a unique opportunity to embrace the confidence they will find from many stakeholders. They must move decisively with an active agenda and focus on delivery.
I was honoured last week to join a panel at last week’s Operation Vulindlela conference to discuss how we can rebuild confidence in the prospects for South Africa. I was reminded that the last administration began with high hopes. Indeed, President Cyril Ramaphosa had the backing of many constituents, from international investors to local business. It is debatable whether that goodwill was used to best effect. Operation Vulindlela has certainly been the highlight of the administration and its successes. From concluding the spectrum auction which had dragged on for well over a decade to reforming the electricity system, its successes are incredibly important for this country.
The new administration must use the goodwill it will encounter wisely. It will enable the new cabinet to get things done. Action and delivery must be clear. Organised business has been a willing partner to the last administration, rallying significant resources to aid the efforts of government to deliver critical reforms. We put together the Resource Mobilisation Fund to support the Energy Action Plan and are now working to do the same for the Freight Logistics Roadmap. These were among several programmes where we worked alongside Operation Vulindlela to deliver real progress. The unit proved the value of business and government working together.
Economists at the Operation Vulindlela conference put the value of the unit at anywhere between 2% and 4% of GDP, largely in terms of economic activity that was created or protected by it, from the ravages of load shedding and other challenges. The Bureau of Economic Research estimated that 2% could be added to economic growth if the reforms made by the unit are sustained.
Operation Vulindlela showed how important it is to have a dedicated delivery unit. It should be a central pillar of the new administration and be embraced by cabinet as a catalyst to make delivery happen across the different portfolios, coordinating reform across government and working to ensure business is involved at the appropriate points.
At the conference, there was much talk of the future. Areas that the unit could focus on include water provision and local government. These are both critical, as I’ve argued in this letter before. We cannot afford to face water shedding, which already some parts of our country are enduring. We also need local government delivery to work - there are too many stories of businesses shutting down or moving because they cannot get basic services in their areas. It is obviously also a major problem for communities, depriving them of business opportunities. Seeing Operation Vulindlela turning its attention to these difficult challenges would add to the positive sentiment surrounding the new administration.
This is incredibly important work and I wish the new cabinet all the best in delivering it. But they cannot afford to squander the optimism and confidence that many stakeholders will have. They will find a willing partner in business, which will enthusiastically back reform and delivery. The time for talk is over .