The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, has described the expanded Trusted Employer Scheme (TES) as the latest milestone in the Department of Home Affairs' quest to become an economic enabler in South Africa. 

Delivering the keynote address at Xpatweb's Global Mobility Conference in Bryanston on 21 July 2026, the Minister said the expanded TES is "bigger and better" than before, with new pathways focused on major infrastructure projects, companies establishing headquarters or regional offices in South Africa, and the financial services sector. 

Phase II of the programme, announced in the Government Gazette just one day before the Conference, aims to reduce red tape and furthers digitalisation of administration within the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

Marisa Jacobs, Managing Director at Xpatweb, says the further rollout of the TES sends a strong signal that South Africa is open for business, pairing regulatory reform with speed, digital efficiency and more predictable pathways for critical skills that businesses need, to enter the economy. "This will boost business confidence."

Eligible businesses must submit expressions of interest by 4 September 2026, with TES applications now available digitally through the DHA website. This important enhancement which will make it easier for interested companies to apply.

"Every decision taken by Home Affairs has the potential to influence investment, tourism, skills, and economic growth," Schreiber said. 

Addressing the Conference, Khulekani Mathe, Chief Executive Officer of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), said business agrees that mobility reform is increasingly central to investment, competitiveness and job creation. 

Three Qualification Pathways to Support Growth 

The TES uses a risk-based approach to simplify visa applications for accredited employers. This enables qualifying businesses to recruit critical skills faster, while upholding the integrity of the immigration system. 

Building on the success of the first phase, the expanded programme introduces three defined categories with different criteria, following an extensive consultation process.

        Score Card 1:  South African-based operations

This is aimed at companies with significant proven local investment, a strong South African employment cohort and operations in priority economic sectors identified by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

        Score Card 2: Regional or head offices in South Africa

The criteria extend eligibility to companies operating or intending to establish regional or global headquarters in South Africa, focusing on financial contribution, employment and the economic sector it operates in.

        Score Card 3: Synthetic Financial Centres

With the introduction of a dedicated category for the Synthetic Financial Centre (SFC), the DHA is opening a visa pathway for the expected influx of financial sector skills.

Reform Measured by Delivery

Schreiber said that the introduction of a secure and efficient online portal, as well as ongoing work to transition TES into the world-class Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) platform, are part of the broader digital transformation agenda in the Department. 

When he took office almost 24 months ago, many questioned whether a department characterised by paper-based systems, fragmented processes and growing backlogs could become a modern, digital-first department.

"Just two years later, we are comprehensively proving the cynics wrong. We have moved beyond just endlessly talking about reform, to implementing it. But the work is not yet complete."

Minister Schreiber reminded conference delegates that, as he did during his 2024 address, that Home Affairs must ultimately be judged not by its plans, but by its implementation.

"I believe that remains the only test that matters."

Business Welcomes the Direction of Reform

Mathe welcomed the Minister and Department's direction of travel, describing mobility as a fundamental economic strategy that must unlock value. 

He said that South Africa's TES offers a useful example of this. "The categories recognise that mobility reform is not an administrative side issue, but is directly connected to investment, infrastructure delivery, competitiveness and job creation."

He reiterated that mobility must be treated as a competitiveness issue. A business who waits for months for a work visa, loses time, money and opportunity. A region that cannot recognise qualifications waste human capital, and it counts among the challenges that can push people to unsafe, irregular pathways. 

Practically speaking, the continent must expand legal immigration pathways and invest in the skills that matter including healthcare, technical trades and digital skills, Mathe said. It is equally important to strengthen the institutions that manage mobility, which means better data, faster documentation, stronger recruitment regulation and closer coordination between the relevant departments.

Reality Check — Progress Made, Work that Remains

Minister Schreiber said in 2024, the Department set out a vision to transform Home Affairs into a digital-first department that enables economic growth, strengthens national security and delivers dignity for all. 

According to him that transformational vision is now becoming a reality and pointing the way to the country's future. However, he acknowledged that work remains.

"Transforming a department after years of institutional decline cannot happen overnight, and we do not pretend otherwise."

But the past two years have demonstrated that meaningful reform at Home Affairs is not only possible but accelerating with every day.

Written by Xpatweb