# Job search in SA



## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

Hello,

I am a Southern African national currently living in the NE US (where I have lived for 20 years). I have experience in software, retail and strategy experience and an MBA. I am ready to move back to Africa and contribute to my continent would like to start with S. Africa to make a somewhat slow transition. I have been looking for jobs in South Africa without success for a while. How do people living overseas typically find employment in Johannesburg ? I have tried direct internet applications and contacted recruiting agencies. Does anyone know of any agencies that work specifically with foreigners? Can you provide me with any pointers?

Thank you!

CK


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## DannyBoy (Apr 29, 2009)

Hello,

if you get a positive response to your posting please let me know. I too am living in the U.S and have wanted to return to S.A for years. I gave up on the "trying to find a job in SA from a distance" because the recruiters want you to BE THERE for the interview if it ever occurs. Phone interviews are not as popular in SA as they are here in the U.S.
I even went so far as personally calling job search companies in S.A on my last visit.
They were not overly enthusiastic to work with me. I met with an old recruitment company I had worked with 17 years ago and they promised to "keep me in mind" if they found a job witch matched my skills. That was two years ago and I never heard back from them.

At this point I have given up looking for work in S.A.
I think the "skills shortage" in SA is a fallacy, because if there really was a "skills shortage" for I.T professionals I would have got a job by now.

Doubt that this helps answer your original question, but I think looking for work in S.A from the U.S is going to be an uphill battle for you. 
Strangely they are looking for I.T people in Ireland right now, if you're willing to go there.
Good Luck


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## BJ100 (Jun 6, 2011)

I too was based in the US and I'm looking for a job in SA. When I started networking for tips/advice on making the transition everyone I spoke with recommended that I get my work permit first and then start tackling recruitment agencies and other contacts for job leads with a work permit in hand (apparently, no one takes foreign job hunters seriously until they have shown that they are committed to making the move). 

A second point to keep in mind (this is one that I was unaware of because there's so much coverage about SA's "skill shortage" and I'm skilled). The hierarchy of hiring is employment equity (EE) candidates first, followed by non-EE SA citizens/permanent residents, with foreigners at the bottom of the pile. In some industries there's a lot of pressure to hire EE candidates and I've heard some companies will keep positions open as long as necessary to hire an EE rather than hiring a qualified or over-qualified foreign candidate. 

If you want to make the move to SA, I suggest you get a work permit first and visit SA for a few weeks to network for job leads. The larger international organizations (IBM, Microsoft, etc) are more likely to hire foreign candidates so I'd target those.

I've just arrived in SA so its early days, I may post an update in a few months on how my job search is going. I do know that I'll have to network heavily to get people to look past my foreign status. 

Good luck!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Quite frankly, if you're a white immigrant looking for work, you'll be very lucky indeed to find anything worthwhile. 

Even with special skills, the home affairs people are ultra reluctant to grant work permits for such things unless you have a degree at the very least. 

If you work for yourself, then you'll either have to commit to bringing in a very large slice of money or get a waiver for that and in either case, you'll have to provide employment for at least 5 South Africans and in reality, they mean 5 Africans.

To give you an idea of how reluctant they are on the special skills front, my wife has decades of experience as a cardio thoracic theatre (OR to you Yanks) sister and theatre manager, has surgical procedures named after her and was part of the team that pioneered hole in the heart ops for babies and unborn babies. She also takes part in voluntary surgical missions to other parts of Africa for similar surgical tours.

I have extensive experience of heavy commercial aviation and aviation related counter terrorism and security procedures and related computer programs and my local airport is desperate to take advantage of my skills. 

Neither of us is considered skiiled enough to get a special skills permit.

The truth is many companies will want to take you but won't be able to because of things like the BEE requirements so don't expect it to be easy!


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

"If you want to make the move to SA, I suggest you get a work permit first and visit SA for a few weeks to network for job leads. The larger international organizations (IBM, Microsoft, etc) are more likely to hire foreign candidates so I'd target those."


But, don't you need a job offer before you can get a work permit? How can you go about getting a work permit to look for jobs?

I have had many job offers, but companies don't want to hire me or wait for me to get a work permit.

Thanks for clearing this up for me!!


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

I applied for work once I had arrived in SA. I had to get my permit endorsed so applied for jobs but informing people that I had to get a job offer then apply for endorsement. I did not encounter one company that had a problem with this. For me it was very easy to get a job. I put my CV up on Best Jobs South Africa on a Sunday, got a call on the Tuesday, went for interview on the Friday and had a job the following Monday. I am a white immigrant, my background is being a UK qualified lawyer (solicitor). My new job is in the financial sector but still doing legal advisory work. The people that I know here who have immigrated have not had any problems finding employment although I agree it seems easier to find a job whilst you are here. My husband's company (Project Management) are screaming out for skilled people coming in to the country (quantity surveyors, project managers etc) because they cannot find the people with the right skills here. So my experience is good and there is work out there for sure.


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

I have had the opposite experience you have had. I just put my CV on Best Jobs South Africa. I think it also depends on what you studied and you past work history. But, I can't find many companies that have a use for me. Been in S.A. looking for quite a while.


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

Poopsie23 said:


> I have had the opposite experience you have had. I just put my CV on Best Jobs South Africa. I think it also depends on what you studied and you past work history. But, I can't find many companies that have a use for me. Been in S.A. looking for quite a while.


Yes I guess it is different for everyone. I though I was going to have lots of problems due to the fact that my qualifications are not recognised in SA. You can only practice as an attorney here if you have studied law at a South African university (or any of the neighboring countries like Namibia, Zim etc). So I cannot practice as a lawyer here with my UK qualifications. Still, I was kind of tired of working in law firms so this change of direction works for me. I hope you come right and find something suitable.


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## DannyBoy (Apr 29, 2009)

Saartjie are you working in Johannesburg?

How do you find the work environment and living conditions there?
Is it very BEE predominant and if so how do you get treated at work?
Are the people friendly or hostile?
I've heard cases where South Africans from Texas went back and the people they worked with told them "You don't belong here, this is not your country etc".


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

DannyBoy said:


> Saartjie are you working in Johannesburg?
> 
> How do you find the work environment and living conditions there?
> Is it very BEE predominant and if so how do you get treated at work?
> ...


Hi there,

Yep, I am in Johannesburg, although I am in Bedfordview not the CBD. This is of course my first job here but I must say I am pleasantly surprised. In my office I would say the ratio is about 70% black and 30% white but this is just how it has ended up and has nothing to do with BEE. My boss is of the opinion that if someone has got the right qualifications and attitude he will hire them rather than filling up some quota. It works great here. I get along with everyone (apart from one bad apple but I don't work close to him so no worries there). I have not encountered any hostility in work (I do however encounter this at Home Affairs and other public institutions) but I guess my experience might be completely different to others. All in all SA has been good to me so far. I think it has a lot to do with ones attitude. I consider myself being a guest in this country at the moment and I try to treat everyone with respect and consideration and I think that people appreciate that.


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## bonamy (Aug 13, 2011)

*liing now in parow north mixed feelings*

My daughter has been looking for a job in the hotel front office or reservation guest services area for more than 2 months and find nothing. please if anyone can help please let me know she is also finding it really hard to fit in any suggestions she is a born south african has no family of friends there and lived in the usa for 20 years. please any suggestion would be wonderful


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

Saartjie said:


> I applied for work once I had arrived in SA. I had to get my permit endorsed so applied for jobs but informing people that I had to get a job offer then apply for endorsement. I did not encounter one company that had a problem with this. For me it was very easy to get a job. I put my CV up on Best Jobs South Africa on a Sunday, got a call on the Tuesday, went for interview on the Friday and had a job the following Monday. I am a white immigrant, my background is being a UK qualified lawyer (solicitor). My new job is in the financial sector but still doing legal advisory work. The people that I know here who have immigrated have not had any problems finding employment although I agree it seems easier to find a job whilst you are here. My husband's company (Project Management) are screaming out for skilled people coming in to the country (quantity surveyors, project managers etc) because they cannot find the people with the right skills here. So my experience is good and there is work out there for sure.


Saartjie your post is insightful, I am a Project Manager, though in business implementing Strategic projects for a retail company and I also have a background in Software and IT. Thank you!I would love to learn more from you "offline" if you would not mind? I am really excited and extremely hopeful about my move.


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

So I believe I responded to a number of posts but not sure where they went to...I'm new on this forum and got a couple of messages about moderation, Thanks for your comments folk..please let's keep talking..I am all EARS


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

ckay1122 said:


> Saartjie your post is insightful, I am a Project Manager, though in business implementing Strategic projects for a retail company and I also have a background in Software and IT. Thank you!I would love to learn more from you "offline" if you would not mind? I am really excited and extremely hopeful about my move.


Cool. Glad to hear that I made you feel more positive. I am happy to provide any help that I can so we can continue this conversation via the private messaging thing here if you want.


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

Great Saartjie, it's early here..just got to work but I'll figure this forum out and we'll start the dialogue ..I know you are some hours ahead but we'll figure it all out.. I'm excited!!!


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## DannyBoy (Apr 29, 2009)

bonamy said:


> My daughter has been looking for a job in the hotel front office or reservation guest services area for more than 2 months and find nothing. please if anyone can help please let me know she is also finding it really hard to fit in any suggestions she is a born south african has no family of friends there and lived in the usa for 20 years. please any suggestion would be wonderful


Hello, 
a lot of those front office jobs are now taken by the "previously disadvantaged".

Did she try posting an advert on GUMTREE.COM or looking on GUMTREE.COM.
I have seen a few positions like that. 

here's the GUMTREE link
Kijiji


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## bonamy (Aug 13, 2011)

HI YES mYSELF AND MY MOTHER HAVE BEEN LOOKING SINCE THE 14 jULY AND BEEN POSTING i HAVE HAD 5 RESPONSES MY MOTHER POSTS MY RESUME DAILY ON CAREERJET AND NOTHING JUST NOTHING. i AM GOOD AT WHAT i DO AND i AM A HARD WORKER opps sorry for the caps did not realize they were on






DannyBoy said:


> Hello,
> a lot of those front office jobs are now taken by the "previously disadvantaged".
> 
> Did she try posting an advert on GUMTREE.COM or looking on GUMTREE.COM.
> ...


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## bonamy (Aug 13, 2011)

whooow that is great I am posting right now there





ckay1122 said:


> Saartjie your post is insightful, I am a Project Manager, though in business implementing Strategic projects for a retail company and I also have a background in Software and IT. Thank you!I would love to learn more from you "offline" if you would not mind? I am really excited and extremely hopeful about my move.


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## bonamy (Aug 13, 2011)

Whoow that is a great post I have been looking since I arrived here and have had 5 responses i am going to post there also i am in the hospitality field and hope that I would find a job fast






Saartjie said:


> Cool. Glad to hear that I made you feel more positive. I am happy to provide any help that I can so we can continue this conversation via the private messaging thing here if you want.


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## DannyBoy (Apr 29, 2009)

bonamy said:


> Whoow that is a great post I have been looking since I arrived here and have had 5 responses i am going to post there also i am in the hospitality field and hope that I would find a job fast


I think you may be wasting your time with Careejet and those online boards.
I gave up using those. You're better off doing some research on the web for Recruiters working in the area where you want to find a job (Johannesburg, Pretoria etc) and then calling them directly. If you can get a face-to-face interview or even talk to a person on the phone you will get a better chance of finding a job. I found this to be true even in the USA. The job boards rarely helped me find a job. I would definitely keep my CV up to date on as many S.African job boards as possible though, "Just in case " someone happens to be looking there. But I think managers don't really have the time to peruse the job boards like CareerJet.
That's just my 2 cents worth.

Definitely try finding recruiters near you and go in and see them.

Here are some searches you can use to find recruiters near you-

Type these sentences below into google and contact the recruiters directly-
head hunters johannesburg
recruiters johannesburg
hotel jobs johannesburg

I hope you find something soon


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

Hello Saartie,

This is a test not sure if I am able to use the message function on this website. Let's see where this ends up.


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

ckay1122 said:


> Great Saartjie, it's early here..just got to work but I'll figure this forum out and we'll start the dialogue ..I know you are some hours ahead but we'll figure it all out.. I'm excited!!!


Hello Saartie so my test message failed. I don't think I have the private messaging given my newbie status. Alternatively if you are comfortable can you email me your email address to [email protected]. Then I can correspond with you via email.


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

Poopsie23 said:


> "If you want to make the move to SA, I suggest you get a work permit first and visit SA for a few weeks to network for job leads. The larger international organizations (IBM, Microsoft, etc) are more likely to hire foreign candidates so I'd target those."
> 
> 
> But, don't you need a job offer before you can get a work permit? How can you go about getting a work permit to look for jobs?
> ...


Hello Poopsie ,

I hope you got my message the other day. Congrats on your new job. I recommended Intergate Immigration as they gave me a lot of useful info about the visa process in SA and were very proactive in following up. Similar to Saartie I would love to learn from you on your experience in moving to South Africa...prep etc. once the dust has settled a bit on your side. Congratulations again!!!


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## ckay1122 (Sep 2, 2011)

BJ100 said:


> I too was based in the US and I'm looking for a job in SA. When I started networking for tips/advice on making the transition everyone I spoke with recommended that I get my work permit first and then start tackling recruitment agencies and other contacts for job leads with a work permit in hand (apparently, no one takes foreign job hunters seriously until they have shown that they are committed to making the move).
> 
> A second point to keep in mind (this is one that I was unaware of because there's so much coverage about SA's "skill shortage" and I'm skilled). The hierarchy of hiring is employment equity (EE) candidates first, followed by non-EE SA citizens/permanent residents, with foreigners at the bottom of the pile. In some industries there's a lot of pressure to hire EE candidates and I've heard some companies will keep positions open as long as necessary to hire an EE rather than hiring a qualified or over-qualified foreign candidate.
> 
> ...


Hello B100 ,

Thanks for your reply. I thought I responded to you the other day but not sure where my post went. I ould still love to learn of how you have managed and prepared for the move as I am with Saartie and would love to heat about your job search in the early stages as there may be some lessons and nuggets of wisdom that can help people in a similar situation. I wish you all the best and please do keep me updated.


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

ckay1122 said:


> Hello Saartie,
> 
> This is a test not sure if I am able to use the message function on this website. Let's see where this ends up.


You need to try the private messaging if you want to send a message off line. You should see the private messaging thing on the right hand sign of your screen, below where it says 'Welcome, ckay1122'. See how you get on.


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## jazzymarie (Oct 14, 2011)

*Question for your husband*



Saartjie said:


> I applied for work once I had arrived in SA. I had to get my permit endorsed so applied for jobs but informing people that I had to get a job offer then apply for endorsement.
> 
> I'm a skilled Engineering Tech (oil and gas), ten years experience, I'm looking for work in Africa, please ask your husband how I should go about finding contract work there. I keep hitting a end here in the US.
> 
> Thank you


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## RSA_Newbie (Nov 5, 2011)

My experience so far has been closer to Poopsie. I feel that I am highly qualified for a number of different industries and types of work here in SA but everything I apply for I get no response. I have an MBA and 20+ years of experience including owning my own business but doesn't seem to make any difference. If anyone has any tips to make some inroads in the job market here I'd love to hear them. Only having been here four months I haven't made many contacts and since I have to rely on my in-laws for a car to get around I haven't been out and about much and don't want to inconvenience them by monopolizing the family car.


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## jazzymarie (Oct 14, 2011)

Thank you for the info




jazzymarie said:


> Saartjie said:
> 
> 
> > I applied for work once I had arrived in SA. I had to get my permit endorsed so applied for jobs but informing people that I had to get a job offer then apply for endorsement.
> ...


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## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

ckay1122 said:


> Hello Poopsie ,
> 
> I hope you got my message the other day. Congrats on your new job. I recommended Intergate Immigration as they gave me a lot of useful info about the visa process in SA and were very proactive in following up. Similar to Saartie I would love to learn from you on your experience in moving to South Africa...prep etc. once the dust has settled a bit on your side. Congratulations again!!!


I sent you an e-mail today. I don't have any private messages from you. You can contact me on my gmail address with any questions.


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## BJ100 (Jun 6, 2011)

Hi Poopsie, CK, et al - an update on my job search.

I've been in SA now for 2 months and started contacting companies/recruiters within a couple of days of arriving. My experience has been similar to that of Poopsie, CK and others, i.e. I have an MBA from a top global business school and relevant experience, but progress had been very slow. My observations/experiences so far:

1) Recruitment websites/Recruiters - Initially, I researched several recruiting firms that were hiring in my field and called them/sent my resume. I also posted my resume on Careerjet, careerjunction, careers24, PNET, etc. Turned out to be a complete waste of time. None of the recruiters I contacted have ever gotten back to me. I receive an occasional call from a recruiter who has seen my resume on PNET so will keep my resume there but plan to remove my resume from all the other recruitment websites.
2) Recruitment/interview process - I've met with a few companies following introductions from networking contacts and I must say that the interview/recruitment process is extremely slow. I've had multiple interviews with one company on and off for 6 weeks now! A couple of other companies have expressed interest but I'm getting follow ups in two to four week increments. A family member tells me that it's very difficult for SA firms to fire employees so they are very cautious when hiring. 
3) I'm currently based in JHB and had planned to focus my search on investment firms here in JHB but have decided to broaden my search to Cape Town based investment positions. I'd expected to have a job lined up by the end of this month because I started networking 2-3 months prior to my arrival in SA but it's looking like it may be a couple more months before I can expect to have an offer.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Try pushing skills transfer and try and get even short term temp contracts.
they have no-one they can phone to find out if you are good or useless.
and no, they wont phone overseas references.


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## ayboye (Nov 24, 2011)

*Pls I will appreciate help about IT in Ireland*



DannyBoy said:


> Hello,
> 
> if you get a positive response to your posting please let me know. I too am living in the U.S and have wanted to return to S.A for years. I gave up on the "trying to find a job in SA from a distance" because the recruiters want you to BE THERE for the interview if it ever occurs. Phone interviews are not as popular in SA as they are here in the U.S.
> I even went so far as personally calling job search companies in S.A on my last visit.
> ...



Hi, please I will appreciate your help concerning the IT jobs in Ireland. I'm a System/Network Administrator and would like to migrate there.


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

ayboye said:


> Hi, please I will appreciate your help concerning the IT jobs in Ireland. I'm a System/Network Administrator and would like to migrate there.


Try posting under the Britain forum.


You seem to want to work in SA as well?


Unless I misunderstood your two recent postings in this forum.


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## ayboye (Nov 24, 2011)

Johanna said:


> Try posting under the Britain forum.
> 
> 
> You seem to want to work in SA as well?
> ...



Yeah you are correct. I'm actually looking towards three location at the moment and anyone out of them will be just fine with me. 
The three locations are South Africa, Ireland and the Gulf. I'm an IT Professional with relevant experience and certifications.

Any further assistance on this will be much appreciated. Thanks


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## ShisaBoy (Apr 10, 2011)

I'm curious to know if you've had any luck. I'm a US citizen also living in SA (Johannesburg) right now. I have a job, but it pays very poorly (about $4 an hour).

I have a graduate degree, but at this point I'm not hung up on working in my field. Please let me know if you've been able to make any progress.


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