Foreign worker departures leave South African employers short-handed

Employers in South Africa say farms, factories and households are struggling to find workers after thousands of foreign workers left the country in a matter of weeks to escape deadly anti-migrant protests and stronger immigration enforcement.

An AFP tally based on figures from African governments repatriating their citizens put the exodus at more than 160,000 people. Fringe anti-foreigner groups had set June 30 as an unofficial deadline for undocumented migrants to leave.

Zimbabwe, which accounted for the largest share of returnees, said many of those who went back had worked in South Africa's farming, domestic work and construction sectors.

In one of South Africa's main fruit-producing regions, Zimbabwean farmworker Aaron Majatamhe said citrus crops were waiting to be picked and similar shortages were looming in vineyards. He said farm owners were worried because there were not enough people to harvest naartjies or cut grapes.

The first labour shortages were felt almost immediately in KwaZulu-Natal's sugar belt. One farmer on the north coast, speaking anonymously because he feared retaliation, said he lost up to 80 percent of his cane-cutting workforce almost overnight. He said production and supply had fallen to a point where it would be difficult for mills to stay open.

Another grower near Mid-Illovo, south of Durban, said most cane cutters in his area came from Lesotho. He said fields were ready to be cut but there were too few workers, and that local people did not like the work because it was physically demanding.

Labour unions and researchers dispute the argument that South Africans are unwilling to work. With unemployment above 33 percent, and higher when discouraged job seekers are included, they say many South Africans are willing to work. They argue instead that some employers prefer migrant workers because they are cheaper, more flexible and less likely to demand formal contracts, benefits or legal protections.

Patrick Williams, a local organiser with the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union, said employers were profiting from foreign workers. He said foreign farmworkers often worked seven days a week, skipped lunch breaks to earn more under piece-rate systems, and were frequently paid below the national minimum wage.

Employers also say replacing experienced workers is difficult. In Durban's Chatsworth industrial area, a clothing factory manager said the departure of skilled machinists from Malawi and Mozambique had left factories struggling to meet orders. Speaking anonymously, she said factories could barely meet targets because many workers had been forced to leave, and that local workers would need time to learn the jobs.

The government has responded to public anger over migration by promoting a "locals first" approach, while also acknowledging that some industries rely on foreign skills and labour. This week it expanded its Trusted Employer Scheme, which speeds up worker visas for companies that meet requirements including mostly employing South Africans, investing in skills development and operating in priority sectors.

Industry groups are urging the government to create legal routes for seasonal foreign labour. They say sectors such as agriculture have become dependent on migrant workers and cannot replace them immediately. Siyabonga Madlala, chief executive of the South African Farmers Development Association, told Newsroom Afrika that South Africa should consider a regulated seasonal worker programme similar to one in the United States. He said there may be a need for a special dispensation allowing seasonal labour from Southern African Development Community countries where local supply is insufficient.

More than 60 percent of South Africa's immigrants are estimated to come from the Southern African Development Community. But for many migrants who left, labour policy has been overtaken by fear for their safety. Police data cited in the source said at least four foreigners were killed.

Wayne Chimbadzwa Mutasa, a Zimbabwean national who had lived in Robertson since 2014, said he left after foreign workers were targeted in door-to-door raids. He said police officers entered Zimbabweans' homes and told them they were living in the country illegally.

Majatamhe has decided to remain for now, but said he was afraid to stay and did not have enough money to go home.