With the brain drain from the Republic of South Africa, the country has a great need to import skilled staff. To that end, the Immigration Act implemented on 7 April 2003 is an attempt to simplify the issuance of permits, to attract skilled and qualified foreigners to the Republic and to promote tourism in the RSA.

Applying for a South African work permit allows a foreign national to immigrate to South Africa on a temporary basis in order to undertake an offer of employment.

Work permits are available for purposes of securing immigration to South Africa under various regulations. Obtaining a work permit can seem a daunting and complex process as often prospective immigrants are informed by potential employers that they cannot employ them until a work permit / visa has been secured and immigration companies inform them that they cannot have a work permit / visa until a job has been secured.

Quota work permits/visa's may be applied for where applicants fall within certain professional categories, in which skills are considered scarce. Foreigners within these categories do not need to provide an offer of employment. Such candidates are generally attractive for South African employers as they do not have to advertise the position.

The application needs to include a confirmation that the foreigner possesses the necessary qualifications, as certified by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) and confirmation that the applicant has at least five years of relevant work experience. The Quota-System enables a certain number of work permits in the following broad occupational categories: