Many African infrastructure projects, such as those in the oil and gas sector, for example, have been put on hold due to Covid-19. Making sure that companies have the right people to get projects back up and running as soon as possible is a top priority for both the public and private sectors.

The survey gives a sense of how the lockdown is impacting expat workers and new assignees who were due to enter South Africa. More than 150 JSE-listed and large multinational companies operating across Africa participated in the survey. According to the survey, 37% of the participants have new assignees that were due to enter the country during the first quarter of 2020. They are waiting for the lockdown regulations to be lifted in order to enter South Africa.

COVID-19 restrictions have led to a lot of uncertainty about existing visas and ongoing visa applications, however, as lockdown measures are lifted across Europe seafarers are strongly recommended to utilise this time in lockdown to carefully prepare their visa applications, while they await the reopening of visa application centres, thereby avoiding the common pitfalls that lead to a rejected visa.

The Department of Home Affairs allows international travel in the following, albeit limited categories - work, study, to take up permanent residency, medical conditions and/or family reunions. This means that expats have an opportunity to help their parents stuck in South Africa.