The Department of Home Affairs has approved 71 companies for Phase II of its Trusted Employer Scheme, out of 138 that applied, it said on Thursday.

The department said accredited employers get simplified visa processes, reduced paperwork and more predictable processing times. It said it has now finished assessing the applications it received after launching Phase II on 20 July 2026.

Phase II widened the scheme to three groups: companies running strategic infrastructure projects, businesses setting up regional or global headquarters in South Africa, and qualifying financial institutions. The expressions of interest window ran from 20 July to 4 September 2026, according to the Government Gazette notice that opened it.

How firms qualified

The gazette set out three scorecards, one for each pathway, each worth 100 points. A company needs at least 80 points. Under the gazette’s rules, an interdepartmental committee with technical officials from Home Affairs, Employment and Labour, Trade, Industry and Competition, and other relevant departments reviews and validates the scores, and Home Affairs makes the final selection. The 5 November statement says the assessment is concluded but does not say how many points the 71 scored.

On the pathway for South African-based operations, the scorecard weighs investment at 30 points, employment at 25, economic sector at 25 and skills development at 20. Fixed capital investment must be above R100 million to earn any investment points. At least 60% of the staff must be South African citizens or permanent residents, and a company with fewer than 100 employees scores no points for employment.

Trusted Employer Scheme Phase II: applicants and approvals
AppliedApplied: 138 companies138 companiesApprovedApproved: 71 companies71 companiesNot on the approved listNot on the approved list: 67 companies67 companies
AppliedApplied: 138 companies138 companiesApprovedApproved: 71 companies71 companiesNot on the approved listNot on the approved list: 67 companies67 companies

Source: Department of Home Affairs statement, 5 November 2026. Chart: Rand Desk

The headquarters pathway puts 50 of its 100 points on financial contribution, and the financial-sector pathway puts 40 on Reserve Bank exchange control authorisation under its extended framework.

Companies approved for the scheme must be willing to sign a memorandum of agreement with the department, the gazette said.

What the minister said

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the 71 additions are “another important step towards positioning Home Affairs as an enabler of economic growth”.

He tied the scheme to the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, which the department is expanding. “We are demonstrating that stronger immigration security and economic growth can, and must, go hand in hand,” Schreiber said in the statement.

When Phase II launched in July, the department said the scheme would eventually be built into the Electronic Travel Authorisation platform, and that applications would run through a dedicated online process.

What the statement leaves out

The statement gives no names of the approved companies, no split between the three pathways and no figure for how many foreign workers the 71 companies are expected to bring in. It does not say when the next intake will open.

The gazette said outcomes would be issued within 30 working days of the 4 September closing date, which falls around 19 October. The announcement came on 5 November, and the statement does not explain the gap.

Related: how the Budget and the MTBPS work.

The department has not said when the next Phase II intake will open.