The presence of South Africans in the United States has increased from over 75,000 to at least 133,359 migrants over the past 10 years, according to the US Census Bureau – with skilled, experienced, and high-qualified professionals in key fields being offered everything from competitive salaries (of at least R108k to R217k per month) and enviable relocation packages, to fast-tracked visas and pathways to permanent residency. Here’s why the US is not able to fill these much-needed roles, and which qualifications among South Africans are in biggest demand.
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Back in February 2024, my team took a look at the main reasons why the US job market loves South Africans. Our investigations uncovered the full calibre of South Africans’ impressive work ethic, the fluency of our English, the high degree of cultural compatibility, and the extent to which we are entrepreneurially minded and well educated with a wide spread of qualifications, skills, and experience to offer.
This year, groups on both sides of the Atlantic have begun looking more deeply into the reasons why the US is experiencing such extensive labour shortages (potentially in South Africa’s favour). To date, the data analytics has revealed:
- an ageing workforce, with almost 20% of the population at retirement age;
- a mismatch between available skills and employer needs, with the younger generation demanding fulfilling work and a healthy work-life balance before committing to a job or company for the long haul;
- the challenge of finding and retaining employees in a market suffering high levels of burnout (the US offers fewer public holidays than most other Western countries, and is the only developed country that doesn't legally guarantee paid vacation time to its workers);
- the pandemic’s continued effect on work environments and employee preferences, in which the flexibility of contract work often ranks more highly than a permanent position for US citizens; and
- the perceived poor job quality of healthcare, transportation, and hospitality roles, even though the post-pandemic risks (physical, psychological) are, in fact, no longer relevant.
Charlroy Vollmer 12 Mar 2025
Clout in these fields elevates your status
Against this background, five US industries have emerged as being the most likely to hire, help relocate, and favourably remunerate skilled South African workers. They are:
- information technology - a major employer in the US (of at least 5.6 million workers), which is snapping up South Africans with data science, software engineering, and cybersecurity skills, qualifications, and experience;
- engineering - a sector that’s been battling to place individuals in civil, mechanical, and electrical roles, as industries like renewable energy and advanced manufacturing continue their expansion – leading to many South Africans with relevant qualifications finding suitable opportunities across construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing roles;
- healthcare - a sector in which hard-working and dedicated doctors, nurses, and other medically trained individuals can negotiate a lucrative salary as a result of the current shortage of staff for these jobs, and the rigorous training and experience within diverse healthcare settings that South Africans bring to the table;
- education - offering employment across the US in schools, universities, and other kinds of educational institutions, which is specifically in need of those with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) teaching experience and/or specialised skills (early childhood development, special education); and
- finance - a sector offering particularly high salaries in investment banking and other corporate roles, as senior US citizens leave such roles to retire, and South Africans apply for these roles bringing unique expertise across products and services.
Incentives aplenty for those who relocate
For highly qualified South Africans keen to make a new start in the US, H-1B and EB-3 visa programmes are easing the way for employers wanting to sponsor these foreign professionals; comprehensive relocation packages are on offer for those in great demand; and you stand to gain a higher salary than that which is on offer back in South Africa, and participation in a more diverse and dynamic job market.
For the entrepreneurially minded, or those with experience at running an SME, an EB-5 visa allows investors to become permanent residents (ie. green card holders) by investing in a US business that creates jobs.
