The critical skills list for South Africa enables highly skilled foreigners to work in their occupation in South Africa.
Today we’re going to take a closer look at the list as it currently appears on the website of the Department of Home Affairs.
Three requirements areas
The critical skills list is broken down into three requirement areas:
- The classification regarding the education subject matter (what you’re qualified in).
- The relevant occupation/critical skills.
- The requirements pertaining to such things as memberships, experience and qualifications.
Only applicants who meet all three criteria will be eligible for a critical skills visa.
Now let’s look at the educational subject matters and occupations, which will enable you to gauge whether or not your occupation is needed in South Africa:
The educational subject matters
There are 12 education subject matters:
- Agriculture, Agricultural Operations, and Related Sciences
- Architecture and the Built Environment
- Business, Economics, and Management Studies
- Information Communication and Technology
- Engineering
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
- Life and Earth Sciences
- Professionals and Associate Professionals
- Trades
- Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
- Academics and Researchers
- Post-Graduate
Occupations within the educational subjects
There are numerous occupations on the critical skills list of South Africa in 2018. Below we’ll list the occupations together with the educational subjects for ease of reference:
1. Agriculture, Agricultural Operations, and Related Sciences
- Agricultural Engineer
- Agricultural Scientist
- Forestry Technician
- Sheep Shearer
2. Architecture and the Built Environment
- Architect
- Construction Project Manager
- Land Surveyor
- Quantity Surveyor
- Urban and Regional Planner
3. Business, Economics, and Management Studies
- Actuaries and Risk Assessors
- Corporate General Manager
- External Auditor
- Financial Investment Advisor
4. Information Communication and Technology
- CISCO Solution Specialist
- CISCO Engineers
- Solutions Architects in Telecommunications and ICT
- Integrated Developers (PHP, Perl, Java )
- Network Analyst
- IT Security Specialist
- System Integration Specialist
- Enterprise Architecture
- Data Centre Operations
- Network Specialist (Security)
- Database Specialists
- Microsoft System Engineers
- Network Controllers
- AV Specialists (Anti-virus)
- Desktop support Engineer
5. Engineering
- Energy Engineer
- Metallurgical Engineer
- Chemical Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Electrical Installation Inspector
- Electronics Engineer
- Geologist
- Industrial and Production Engineers
- Industrial Designer
- Manufacturing Managers
- Materials Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Mining Engineer
- Production/Operations Manager
- Quality Systems Manager
- Research and Development Manager
- Ship’s Engineer
- Telecommunications Engineers
- Electrical Engineering Technologist
- Energy Engineering Technologist
- Mechanical Engineering Technologist
- Metallurgical Engineering Technologist
- Mining Engineering Technologist
- Air Conditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber
- Automotive Electrician
- Automotive Motor Mechanic
- Boiler Maker
- Chemical Engineering Technologist
- Civil Engineering Technologist
- Diesel Mechanic
- Electronics Engineering Technologist
- Fitter and Turner
- Materials Engineering Technologist
- Mechatronics Technician
- Metal Fabricator
- Physical and Engineering Science Technicians
- Pressure Welder
- Structural Plaster
- Toolmaker
6. Health Professionals and Related Clinical Sciences
- Medical Superintendent/Public Health Manager
- Public Health Physician
- General and Specialist Medical Practitioner
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Nursing Professionals
- Veterinarian
- Registered Nurse (child and family health)
- Retail Pharmacist
7. Life and Earth Sciences
- Environmental Engineers
- Environmental Manager
- Industrial Pharmacist
- Acquatic Scientist
- Animal Scientist
- Advanced Composites Engineering
- Archaelogical / Paleontological Specialist
- Bioeconomist
- Biochemists
- Bioinformatician
- Bioinformaticist
- Biological Scientist
- Botanical Scientist
- Chemical Scientist
- Computational Biologist
- Environmental Scientist
- Ecological Scientist
- Food Scientist
- Engineering Geologist
- Geochemist
- Geohazards Specialist
- Geologist
- Geophycist
- Laboratory Technologist and Technician
- Marine Bioscientist
- Materials Scientist
- Metallurgical Scientist
- Metrology
- Microbiological Scientist
- Polymer Scientist
- Protein Scientist
- Seismologist
- Soil Scientist
- Toxicology Scientist
- Water Resource Scientist
8. Professionals and Associate Professionals
- Land and engineering surveyors
- Electronic Engineering Technician
- Materials Engineering Technologist
- Electrical Engineering Technician
- Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Practitioner
- Draughtsperson
- Mechanical Engineering Technician
- Chemical Engineering Technician
- Organisation and Methods Analyst (incl. scheduler, estimator)
- Surveying Technician
- Geomatics Technician
- Quantity Surveying Technician
- Civil Engineering Technician
- Materials Engineer Nondestructive Testing (NDT)
- Materials Engineering Technician – Road materials
- Materials Tester
- Construction Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Agent/Manager/ Officer
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Architectural Senior Technologist
- Architectural Technologist
- Architectural Draughtsperson
- Astronomer
- Physicist (SKA)
- Geomagnetic Physicist
- Solar Physicist
- Space Physicist
- Plasma Physicist
- Space Technologist
- Space Weather Specialist
- Magnetic Technology Specialist
- Radar Engineering
- Radio Frequency Engineering
- Environmental Technologist
- Industrial Engineer
- Industrial Engineering Technologist
- Industrial Engineering Technician
- Landscape Architect
- Landscape Contract Manager
- Landscape Horticulturalist
- Mining Technician
9. Trades
- Millwright
- Boilermaker (for Strategic Infrastructure Projects)
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic
- Pipe Fitter
- Double Coded Welder
- Rigger
- Moulder
- Raise-bore Operators
- Raise-bore Foreman
10. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
- Software Development Engineers and Managers
- Systems Architects, Engineers and Managers
- Foreign Language speakers for specialist language support and technical or sales (German, Swiss
- German, Flemish, Greek, Swedish, Danish, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and French)
- Business Analyst
- Quality Analyst
- Quality Assurance Specialist/Auditor
- Customer Service Manager/Team Lead
11. Academics and Researchers
- Researchers Doctoral Graduates (Acquired abroad)
- Research in any of the following areas:
- Galaxy Formation and Evolution
- Galaxy Structure and Dynamics
- Pulsars and Black Holes
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves
- Deep Observations of the earliest Radio Galaxies
- Dynamic and Transient Bursts
- VLBI Operations
- Search for CO to investigate role of Molecular Hydrogen
- Deep Surveys of Neutral Hydrogen Gas in the Early Universe
- Cosmology and Dark Energy
- Cosmic Magnetism
- Calibration and Imaging of Radio Interferometer data
- Pulsars Research
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves
- VLBI Operations
- Signal Processing
- Observational Radio Astronomy in General
- Algorithm for Radio Astronomy
- Signal Processing for Radio Astronomy
- Supercomputing for Radio Astronomy
- Software Development for Radio Astronomy
- Data and Streaming – Real -Time Processing of Massive Data Amounts
- Green Computing – Extreme Performance at Minor Energy Costs
- Performance at Minor Energy Costs
- EMC and Spectrum Management
- Beam Modelling
- Antenna Modelling
- Feeds for Radio Astronomy Systems
- Receivers for Radio Astronomy Systems
- Signal Processing for Radio Astronomy
- High Speed Data Transport
- Nano-photonics – Data Transport Power
- Nanotechnology
- Palaeosciences
- Reduction over Short and Long distances
- Antenna Design
- Antenna Foundation Design
- RFI Shielded Buildings and Facilities
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Space Science and Technology
- Global Change
- Energy Security
- Information Communication Technology
- Earth Observation
- Natural and Applied Sciences
12. Post-Graduate
- Doctoral Graduate (Acquired in RSA)