Report: South Africa approves remote work visas for skilled foreigners

South Africa has issued new visa regulations for skilled foreign remote workers, Business Live reports.

The new remote work visas are applicable to foreigners earning more than R1m a year (about $53,665) who want to relocate to South Africa.

Although there has been no official statement from the country’s department of home affairs, the digital nomad visa reportedly replaces the critical skills visa.

The draft regulations signed by Aaron Motsoaled, minister of home affairs, had been published in February for the public to share feedback and comments that would shape the eventual outcome of the visa.

The deadline for submissions was set as March 29.

But some parts of the regulations required other laws to be amended before taking effect.

For instance, the digital nomad bill had proposed an income tax exemption for foreign employees working in South Africa for less than six months, and the income tax act would have to be amended to provide for the exemption to be legal.

Some South Africans said the digital nomad visa would make the country’s tech ecosystem attractive to foreign talent, while others believed an influx would lead to a rise in the cost of living, an increase in inequality, and tax leakage concerns.

Other African countries that offer remote work visas include Cape Verde, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Namibia.