Registration Requirements For Artisans in South Africa

Sa Migration – 21 June 2022

Applying for critical skills work visa in South Africa as an artisan has been a challenge for the longest time. In 2014 when the current amendments to the Immigration Act were gazetted several gaps were identified in the Act which included the absence of a SAQA accredited professional body to register artisans. ECSA was not an option due to their minimum NQF criteria of 5 which was a notch above the rating being given by SAQA for artisans.  There was a time letters issued by the National Artisan Moderation Body, (NAMB), were sufficient and then they were not. There was a time when registration with the South African Institute of Draughting was good enough and then it wasn’t. The latest dispensation saw applications being rejected because Home Affairs required a South African trade test.  This of course is absurd for two reasons; the artisan is already trade tested and secondly a South African trade test requires a minimum experience in South Africa.

This inconsistency was a direct result of the absence of a key legislative instrument, namely the National Register of Artisans.  In terms section 26C of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 as amended, the Minister of Higher Education is required to establish a register of artisans.  This register unfortunately could not be implemented as the regulations were not yet in place to establish this register, therefore the NAMB letters were acceptable as they pointed to the absence of the National Register of Artisans.  In the absence of a clear framework on how to recognise foreign artisans in the republic it meant that the Department of Home Affairs was left to its own devices hence the constant changes in approach.

Fortunately, that gap has now been closed and a clear process of registering artisans is now in place.   The National Register of Artisans Regulations was gazetted the 19^th of March 2021 and provides a framework for the registration of all artisans, local and foreign. There 4 categories of artisans, Practising Artisans, Non – Practising, Foreign Practising and Foreign Non-Practising Artisans.  Under regulation 3 it is mandatory for all artisans to register with the Department of Higher Educations National Artisan Development Support Centre (NADSC).  

The registration requirements for foreign National Practising Artisans are the following, a certified passport copy, evidence of legal visa for entrance into the country, certified copy of trade test whether conducted locally or abroad, SAQA evaluation of foreign trade test, proof of address and proof of previous registration for a renewal.

Importantly regulation 6 has some consequences for visa applications by artisans.  6.5 Provides that all foreign national artisans must register with DHET before applying for critical skills work visa or any work visa with DHA. 6.6 goes on to state that foreign national artisans will not be granted critical skills work by DHA if they are not registered with DHET. This means that as of 19^th March 2021 it became impossible for an artisan to get a visa without first registering the NADSC

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These mobile payment platforms do not need a bank account or credit card

 Business Insider SA – 21 June 2022

 

• For the population in rural areas who don’t have an address or paperwork to prove it, FICA becomes impossible.
• Those who are ‘unbanked’ now have more options with financial service providers who are targeting them.
• Here are four mobile payment platforms to use without a bank account or credit card.

You may have heard the term “unbanked” in the last few years, referring to the population that do not have their own bank accounts. 

Opening an official bank account comes with the expected paperwork that is the FICA process. But it can be challenging for those who live in rural areas and don’t have official addresses or paperwork to prove it. 

That, among other barriers to entry, has given rise to a range of financial services that don’t require a bank account or credit card to make or receive payments. 

Here are 4 examples of mobile platforms that don’t need a bank account or credit card to use: 

Spot Money

The Spot Money app relaunched in 2021 as South Africa’s first ‘open banking platform’. It is not tied to a bank and offers deals from third parties. South Africans and foreign nationals can open transactional accounts, generate virtual cards instantly, make payments or purchases with those credentials or apply for a physical debit card. 

The account can be topped up through EFT payments, using the Ozow direct bank transfer option, or a linked card. It supports buying airtime, prepaid electricity, paying bills and buying digital vouchers. Users can also send each other cash instantly from their accounts, which could potentially be used to pay a domestic worker or gardener monthly. Once you apply for a contactless debit card, it can be used at physical stores. The virtual and physical cards are issued by Mastercard. 

The key differentiator with the Spot Money account is that is incurs no monthly fees, and all in-app purchases and payments are free. It also supports other apps like Masterpass, Snapscan, Zapper and wiCode. Cashing out and deposits over a R1,000 incur a small percentage.

uKheshe

The uKheshe app offers a wide range of services such as being a digital wallet, the ability to pay or get paid via a QR code instantly, Tap to Pay on Android devices, card issuing (virtual and physical via Mastercard), and sending money across the border.  

A user does not need a smartphone to create a digital wallet and can transact via USSD, otherwise, Whatsapp chat banking and an app is available. It supports payments between people or merchants, cross-border exchange, crypto transfers, paying for prepaid services or bills and insurance payments. Top-ups and cash-out channels include EFT, retail, digital wallets, cash agents, card top-up and wallet-to-wallet.

When the service first launched, it was positioned as a way to ‘pay it forward’, for tipping or to pay car guards when one does not have cash, via a quick QR code scan.

uKheshe has evolved to be a low-cost solution for contactless payments with end-to-end encryption, KYC verification, and value-added services, backed by Mastercard secure payments.

Mukuru

Mukuru is primarily a money transfer service that allows South Africans to send money to 17 countries within Africa, the UK, China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Other services include applying for a debit card, sending groceries and as an enterprise payment platform.

Users can apply for a Mukuru Card that will allow them to shop online, receive a salary, save money, pay for money transfers, withdraw or top-up cash. Users can also swipe it for free at retailers and can buy airtime or pay for DStv services. Cash can be requested at till points at most supermarkets, Game, Makro, and Builders for anything between R3.70 and R19.99. 

The Mukuru Card be collected at selected Clicks branches Mukuru branches and agents nationwide. Activating it requires a R100 deposit. Unlike the other services mentioned, the card carries a monthly fee of R27, and a once-off activation fee of R46. While swiping at stores, purchasing SA airtime, and receiving EFTs are free, other transactions carry a nominal fee. 

Users from South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe or Botswana can send groceries and stationery to friends and family in Malawi and Zimbabwe, available for pick-up at selected retailers or remittance partners in those foreign markets. 

Telkom Pay

Telkom Pay.

The Telkom Pay digital wallet is built inside Whatsapp and allows South Africans with a mobile number to easily make transactions without having to interact in person. Users need a South African ID number to verify themselves at sign-up, and don’t need an existing bank account to make use of the wallet. Sign-up can also be completed through USSD or through a QR code. 

The digital wallet allows users to generate a virtual card that can be used for payments, instead of having to use a physical debit or credit card. Accounts can be topped up via EFT, Nedbank ATMs or at Pick and Pay. Money can also be sent and received between any SA mobile number, and the limit for this is capped at R3000 per day. 

It also supports Scan-to-Pay with QR code, and similar to a please call me, users can send a “please pay me” via Whatsapp. The service also supports sending and receiving money between neighbouring countries. Additional services include buying vouchers for gaming, entertainment, education, transport, shopping, or gifting.

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Half of the properties in these two suburbs in Cape Town are being swept up by foreign buyers and semigrants

Businesstech – 21 June 2022

Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs are among the most popular neighbourhoods in the country, not just with locals, but also semigration and international buyers according to Francois Venter, a luxury property expert with Seeff Southern Suburbs.

For the upper end of the market which includes Bishopscourt, Constantia Upper, Newlands, Claremont, and Kenilworth Upper, last year was a property boom. In Constantia Upper alone, property sales amounted to some R1.5 billion, quite unheard of in recent years.

Sales above R20 million in Bishopscourt and Constantia Upper reached a record 19 sales last year. Venter said while the market has slowed from the pent-up highs of last year, it remains healthy and well-balanced across all price levels.

In Bishopscourt for example Seeff concluded a R39 million sale to a UK buyer recently. House prices now range upwards of about R25 million in the suburb while the average selling price for the first quarter is around R27 million, said Seeff.

In both Constantia Upper and Bishopscourt, buyers are around 50/50 South African versus international, mostly from the UK and Germany with most recent sales being international buyers. Some are “swallow” buyers looking to spend six months of the year here while others such as a UK buyer who spent R26 million on a home in Constantia Upper will be relocating to the Cape.

Venter said international buyers are finding exceptional value in the market. “For the price of a small flat in Munich, you can get a lovely home in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a fabulous climate and lifestyle here in Cape Town.”

The Constantia Upper property market ended last year with a record 108 sales and a record R1.5 billion in value. This year is also off to a good start, according to Seeff. The average selling price for Constantia Upper in the first quarter was around R14.5 million.

Venter said that while about 75% of the market falls below the R15 million price range, there is greater demand at the top end of the market above R20 million, driven primarily by international buyers. Sellers achieved on average around 8.7% below their asking prices in the first quarter.

Both Claremont and Kenilworth Upper are popular with families for the great access to top schools. Claremont Upper is most active below the R8 million range while Kenilworth Upper is generally below R7 million. In both areas, sellers achieve about 10% below their asking prices.

Newlands is also popular with families with the R6 million to R7 million range being the most active. Properties are spending around three months on the market on average and sellers achieved about 7.8% on average below their asking prices in the first quarter.

Although sellers are potentially getting closer to their asking prices, Venter said correct pricing remains vital. Regardless of whether the property is in the R2 million or R20 million range, it will sell faster if priced correctly.

Cape Town offers a unique combination of lifestyle and investment value with the Southern Suburbs “Uppers” being a primary area. Venter said that a renewed focus on lifestyle and particularly quality living has bolstered demand and the outlook remains strong.

“Prices have remained fairly flat with subdued growth of around 3% to 4% in nominal terms which means it is a fantastic time to buy.”

www.samigration.com

 

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London is about to get a lot poorer

telegraph.co.uk – 20 June 2022

An anti-business Mayor and working from home are tipping the capital's growth into reverse

We might have hoped that the Prime Minister’s ambitious plans to rebalance the British economy, and to close the massive gaps in wealth, productivity and entrepreneurship between London and the regions, would have involved making Bangor, Burnley or Bolton a little richer than they once were. Instead, it turns out that something entirely different is about to happen – London is about to get a lot poorer.

The Russian oligarchs who kept the law and PR firms lavishly employed have all been sanctioned. The venture capital-fuelled tech start-ups are about to start laying off their staff in droves as the money that kept them afloat evaporates. And the City faces a bleak few years as the chill of a bear market descends at the same time as ministers have shamefully failed to compensate for leaving the European Union with any form of meaningful deregulation.

Throw in a Mayor who seems intent on killing any form of enterprise and the capital faces a perfect storm. And given that it generates an alarming percentage of the UK’s output, and almost all its growth, so does the wider British economy.

With the pandemic over, with Brexit safely behind us, with talent visas plentifully available, and with its hyper-mobile, cosmopolitan, well-educated workforce buzzing with new ideas, you might expect London to be booming by now. 

For most of the last two decades, the city was on a roll, turning itself into one of a handful of global high-growth urban hubs. From 2000 to 2020 its GDP more than doubled, rising from £200bn to over £550bn. And its growth meant it dominated the UK to an extent that was rarely matched in its long history. 

According to the Office for National Statistics, London alone accounted for 22pc of total UK output, and if you added in the commuter belt counties that figure rose almost 40pc.

There was no great mystery about that. There were cities that specialised in finance, in the arts, in technology, and in government, but there were very few that excelled in all four and happened to speak English, the global language of business and ideas, as well. 

New York was a close rival, and so, in their own ways, were San Francisco, Dubai and Singapore. But the British capital was unique. True, London had its share of problems, there was never any question about that. From over-priced, cramped housing, to rubbish transport, and pockets of real deprivation especially among recent immigrants, it could be a difficult place to live. Even so, it was a huge economic success. The trouble is, right now that is about to go into reverse - for three reasons.

First, London was the main European hub, and arguably the main global centre, for Russian money. 

Vladimir Putin’s circle of mega-rich oligarchs, along with their wives, children, mistresses and hangers-on, flocked to the capital. They bought up football teams, newspapers, Mayfair and Hampstead houses, and they filled the restaurants, theatres and clubs. 

Their money funded small armies of legal, financial and public relations advisers, charging lavish fees without any questions. And yet, with the war in Ukraine, all that has come to a sudden end. The oligarchs have (quite rightly, it goes without saying) been sanctioned, and the spending has been turned off. That will hit lots of places, but it will hit London hardest of all.

Next, it was Europe’s key tech hub. There was more venture capital money pouring into whizzy start-ups in Shoreditch than anywhere else in Europe, and more "unicorns", as new companies worth more than $1bn are known, as well (London had 47 at the last count, more than double its closest rival Berlin). 

And yet right now, all those companies are starting to lay people off in droves as the Nasdaq crashes and the easy money dries up. It has started in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles where Netflix, Peloton and the trading platform Robinhood have all started laying people off, while Meta and Twitter have frozen hiring. The same thing is about to happen in London over the course of the summer.

Finally, the City faces a bleak year. The markets have crashed, and interest rates have started to rise significantly, and central banks are not printing money any more. There are not likely to be any more big deals for a while, the performance of everything other than a few very smart hedge funds will be dismal, and no one will be making money from trading anything other than oil. 

Even worse, the financial sector still has to grapple with losing access to the Single Market. If the Government had compensated for that with a round of deregulation to capitalise on all the opportunities of Brexit it should have been booming by now. But there has been no meaningful liberalisation, and there is little chance of it now.

If you add in a Mayor who seems intent on causing as much economic damage as possible, along with rail unions and airlines that make getting in and out of the capital virtually impossible, and a workforce that is more reluctant to go back into the office than any in the world (for which, come to think of it, thank the Mayor and the unions - commuting is far worse than it should be) and one point is surely clear: London’s economy is about to take a huge hit. 

That matters. London not only accounts for a huge chunk of the British economy, for the last two decades it has accounted for almost all its growth, and a huge slice of tax revenues as well. We might have been hoping that the regions were about to get richer. Instead London is about to get a lot poorer - and that is a big problem for the British economy. 

www.samigration.com