South AfricaVisas South Africa farming sector seeks sectoral work visas for seasonal migrant labour
Agri SA is urging South Africa to replace corporate visas with sectoral work visas to ease seasonal farm labour shortages. No reform has been adopted, so current visa and employer compliance rules remain unchanged.
South Africa's agricultural body Agri SA is calling for changes to the way migrant farm workers are recruited, saying delays in corporate visa processing are holding up seasonal hiring. Chief operating officer Jolanda Andrag has urged reforms that would widen access to foreign labour while keeping employers compliant with domestic employment rules.
Key facts
- Agri SA wants corporate visas replaced by sectoral work visas under proposed immigration reforms.
- Agriculture employed an estimated 944,000 people in the second quarter of 2026, up 39,000 year on year.
- Localised shortages have hit fruit-growing regions and the sugar industry; one sugarcane grower reportedly lost up to 80 per cent of his cutting workforce.
- A review of 101 employer applications between 2022 and 2026 found recurring compliance problems.
- No start date, fee or application procedure for any reform has been announced.
What is being proposed?
Agri SA supports moving from the current corporate visa route to sectoral work visas as part of proposed immigration reforms. The organisation argues that an agricultural visa system could better match seasonal labour needs across different crops and regions.
It has also proposed building a database of seasonal labour demand to help plan recruitment, while keeping preference for South African workers.
Why is the sector calling for change?
Delays in corporate visa processing are affecting some growers, according to Agri SA. Administrative problems have complicated recruitment, including manual document transfers and application expiry periods.
Localised labour shortages have been reported in fruit-growing regions and the sugar industry, even as overall agricultural employment rose to an estimated 944,000 in the second quarter of 2026.
What rules do employers currently have to meet?
The review of 101 employer applications between 2022 and 2026 identified compliance issues involving the Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Compensation Fund and occupational safety requirements. It also flagged the rule requiring at least 60 per cent of permanent employees to be South African citizens or permanent residents.
What this means for travellers
Nothing has changed yet: the proposals are recommendations from Agri SA, and no new visa category has been introduced. Anyone planning seasonal farm work in South Africa should note that corporate visa requirements and the employer compliance rules listed above still apply as before.
What happens next
The sectoral work visa proposal forms part of wider proposed immigration reforms. No timeline for a decision has been announced.