On 5 November 2026 the Department of Home Affairs announced that it had approved 71 of the 138 companies that applied for Phase II of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), according to the statement circulated by the Minister’s office. This guide explains what the scheme is, how the department scored applicants, and how a business can prepare. All figures come from government documents read on 5 November 2026.
What the scheme is
The department’s TES page says the purpose is to “allow employers to be vetted and approved in advance”, with a simplified route for skilled foreign nationals recruited from outside South Africa, reduced requirements per visa application and less administrative burden. The Phase II gazette notice (No. 55036, 20 July 2026) says approved members get priority processing because of reduced requirements and supporting documents, and that membership is accepted for local applications and at all South African High Commissions abroad. It states plainly that TES is not for unskilled and low wage labour.
Who Phase II is for
Phase II widened the scheme to infrastructure projects and to companies that run a global or regional head office in South Africa. The government statement adds qualifying financial sector entities. Applicants had to be corporate employers registered and operational in South Africa.
How applicants were scored
Applicants chose one of three pathways. The gazette warns that using more than one risks disqualification. The minimum score was 80 out of 100.
- Pathway 1, South African based operations: investment or pledges (up to 30 points, with 20 for R100 million to R200 million and 30 above R200 million), employment (up to 25), economic sector (up to 25) and skills development (20).
- Pathway 2, regional or head office: local presence (15), financial contribution (50), employment (20) and economic sector (15 in the scorecard, 10 in the annexure).
- Pathway 3, synthetic financial centres: SARB exchange control authorisation (40), regulatory standing (20), market infrastructure commitment (20), a certification step (15) and a skills transfer commitment (5).
The detail behind each score
In Pathway 1, the investment counts as fixed capital above R100 million since 2018 or a pledge to SAIC, with no operating expenditure. At least 60% of staff must be South African citizens or permanent residents. A company scores 20 employment points with at least 100 employees and 25 with more than 150, and none with fewer than 100. A dtic certificate must confirm the sector. Manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, services and resource based industries earn 15 points, while energy and the Strategic Integrated Projects earn 25. Skills points need proof of an active skills transfer, bursary or graduate programme.
In Pathway 2, the 50 financial contribution points need more than R500 million in corporate income tax and PAYE paid to SARS cumulatively over the last two tax years, excluding import duties and VAT. A company that has not yet set up can instead submit a factual findings report from an independent registered auditor showing that more than R500 million is budgeted.
How to apply, step by step
- Read the gazette and pick the single pathway on which you can score 80.
- Submit the expression of interest through the Trusted Employer Scheme link on the department’s website.
- Attach the documents listed in the TES Phase II Application Form, with the information the criteria require.
- Wait for the interdepartmental committee (Home Affairs, Employment and Labour, and Trade, Industry and Competition). Its decision is final.
- If approved, be willing to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the department.
Timelines
Phase II opened on 20 July 2026 and closed on 4 September 2026. The gazette promised outcomes within 30 working days of closing.
What the 71 approvals do and do not mean
They mean the department says it finished assessing the 138 applications and that approved firms will get simpler visa processes, less paperwork and more predictable processing times. They do not mean a guaranteed visa for any individual hire. The gazette describes reduced requirements, not an exemption, and the Minister’s statement gives no processing time. The statement names no companies.
Tactics to prepare
- Do the arithmetic first. In Pathway 1, 30 investment, 25 employment and 25 sector points give exactly 80 without the skills points. With a 15 point sector, 20 investment, 25 employment and 20 skills points also total exactly 80. A company in Pathway 2 with under R500 million in tax cannot reach 80, because the other three factors total 50.
- Start the dtic sector certificate early. Both main pathways need it, and it depends on a third party. Our dtic guide explains how that department works.
- Gather the evidence: payroll records for the 60% local staff share, proof of your skills programme and, for the head office pathway, SARS assessments.
- Fix compliance first. The department’s page says applicants are reviewed against criteria such as tax and labour compliance. See also the Employment Services Amendment Bill, which covers hiring rules under review.
- Know your wider options. Not every firm fits TES, and our comparison of South African visa routes sets them side by side.
What we could not confirm
- Whether and when Phase II will reopen for new applicants. Neither the gazette nor the statement says.
- Fees. None are stated in the pages we read.
- The full document checklist. The gazette points to the TES Phase II Application Form, which we did not open.
- Whether TES members get faster general work visas as well as critical skills visas. The government statement refers to critical skills only.
- How the 71 Phase II approvals relate to the 71 companies the Minister said in his July 2025 NCOP budget vote were on the scheme. Both are official figures and we could not reconcile them.
- The names and sectors of the approved companies, and any processing time for members.
- The 5 November statement on the gov.za site itself. We read it as circulated by the Minister’s office through a wire service.
