SA Farms and Factories Under Pressure After More Than 160,000 Migrants Depart
- Zimbabwean farmworker Aaron Majatamhe warned that fruit and vineyard harvests are at risk as migrant workers leave South Africa
- KwaZulu-Natal sugar farmers reported losing up to 80% of their cane-cutting workforce in a short period
- Labour unions pushed back on claims that South Africans are unwilling to fill the roles left behind
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SOUTH AFRICA - Farmers across South Africa are warning of growing labour shortages after thousands of foreign nationals left the country in recent weeks, leaving some agricultural producers struggling to maintain operations.
According to an AFP report, the impact has been felt particularly hard in KwaZulu-Natal's sugar-producing regions, where some farmers say they have lost a significant portion of their workforce following anti-immigration protests and intensified immigration enforcement efforts.
KZN sugar industry among the hardest hit
One farmer on KwaZulu-Natal's north coast told AFP that he lost up to 80% of his cane-cutting workforce almost overnight.
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"Production and supply have deteriorated to the point where it is going to be difficult for the mills to stay open," he said.
Another farmer near Mid-Illovo said many cane cutters in the area came from Lesotho and that local workers were often reluctant to take on the physically demanding work.
"There are fields we are supposed to be cutting but there are just not enough people. Local people don't like this job because it is back-breaking and physical," he said.
The labour shortages are not limited to sugar farms. In Durban's Chatsworth industrial area, a clothing factory manager told AFP that the departure of skilled workers from Malawi and Mozambique had left factories struggling to meet production targets.
"We can barely meet our targets because most were forced to go," she said.
Zimbabwean migrant worker raises the alarm
The concerns come after anti-foreigner groups set June 30 as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. AFP reported that more than 160,000 foreign nationals have since returned to their home countries, based on figures released by African governments involved in repatriation efforts.
Among those who remain is Zimbabwean farmworker Aaron Majatamhe, who said farmers in fruit-growing regions are already feeling the effects of the exodus.
"I see a lot of farm owners who are crying now. People have to harvest those naartjies but there is no-one," the 33-year-old told AFP.
He added that vineyards are facing similar challenges as grape harvesting season approaches.
However, labour unions have challenged claims that South Africans are unwilling to do the work. They argue that employers often favour migrant workers because they are cheaper to employ and less likely to demand formal contracts and employment benefits.
Government warns against hiring undocumented workers
Briefly News also reported that government has warned that it will tighten the rules on hiring foreign workers. Furthermore, it has expanded its Trusted Employer Scheme, which fast-tracks worker visas for qualifying companies while prioritising the employment and skills development of South Africans. Industry groups have called for regulated seasonal worker programmes, warning that sectors such as agriculture cannot replace experienced migrant labour overnight.
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Source: Briefly News
