South Africans are engaged in a heated online debate over the employment of foreign academics at their country’s public universities after recent figures presented to Parliament revealed more than 7 000 foreign nationals were employed in higher education institutions by 2025, with Zimbabweans accounting for the largest share.
The statistics, shared with the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, showed Zimbabwean nationals make up 27 percent of foreign academics employed at South African universities, followed by Nigerians at 14 percent.
The figures have reignited discussions around employment, skills shortages, transformation and the role of foreign professionals in South Africa’s higher education sector.
The debate comes against a backdrop of growing anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, where foreign nationals have increasingly become targets of criticism over unemployment, public service delivery and economic challenges.
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According to the records submitted to their Parliament, South Africa’s public universities employed more than 7 000 foreign academics in 2025.
The data further indicates that the University of Johannesburg recorded the highest number of foreign-employed academics, with more than 1 400 individuals listed.
Following publication of the figures, social media platforms were flooded with reactions from South Africans questioning whether universities were doing enough to prioritise local graduates.
“Universities must end their contracts and absorb South Africans…”, one user wrote while another argued: “South Africans should be prioritised.
Many commentators pointed to South Africa’s high unemployment rate among graduates, saying local citizens should be given preference for academic positions.
“Have you seen the number of South Africans that are graduating every year and are not even employed? Some are sitting at home with their qualifications with no plan B,” said one.
Others demanded greater transparency from universities regarding the recruitment of foreign academics.
“This will exclude the administration staff, they should include administration staff. Chancellors must show the process followed to verify if there are no South Africans qualified where foreign nationals are employed. Also provide plans submitted for the skills transfer process,” another said.
However, not everyone agreed the presence of foreign academics was problematic.
Among those defending the recruitment of foreign scholars was Mmusi Maimane, leader of Build One South Africa (BOSA) and a Member of South Africa’s National Assembly.
Responding to criticism, Maimane cited the same parliamentary data and questioned calls for the complete exclusion of foreign nationals.
“Data presented to Parliament indicated that of the full-time staff nationally 3,022 were foreign nationals which is 4.61 percent of the full-time staff. Are we now saying we want zero percent foreigners?” he wrote.
Overall the number was 7.7 percent of university staff are foreign nationals, these are people who are vetted, given jobs which were previously advertised and could not be filled locally and have the relevant visas. What is the problem?”
Supporters of foreign academic recruitment argued that universities compete globally for talent and research excellence, making international recruitment a common practice worldwide.
“Majority of foreign nationals participate in the teaching or research areas of academic institutions according to the above charts. Research output is the ‘holy grail’ of academic institutions as it partly plays a role in earnings from government,” one user observed.
Another suggested there could be a link between academic excellence and international recruitment.
“Isn’t it interesting that universities with the highest number of immigrant academic staff also happen to be the top universities? Maybe because they can afford the best from abroad.”
Others argued that appointments should be based on qualifications and merit rather than nationality.
“There’s absolutely no problem when people are employed on merit rather than ethnic privilege. As much as we employ foreign nationals in South Africa, other countries also employ foreign nationals in the same fields,” another commenter said.
Nevertheless critics remained unconvinced, insisting that local South African graduates should take precedence.
“The reason I said there are many South Africans that are qualified to work in those institutions is a fact. Every year our brothers and sisters graduate and are sitting at home with no jobs. South Africans should be prioritised over foreigners. It’s not a matter of qualification but more of a corruption issue,” one user responded.
The discussion also revived debate over South Africa’s educational attainment levels and whether South Africa currently produces enough highly qualified academics to fill all university positions.
Several users referenced findings from a Higher Education Department report published four years ago which found that only six percent of South Africans held university degrees.
An additional six percent possessed diplomas while 3.4 percent had Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) certificates.
Using those statistics, some commentators questioned whether the country had a sufficiently large pool of postgraduate degree holders to meet university staffing requirements.
“If only seven percent of adults have a Bachelor’s degree, now imagine at Masters or PhD. In fact, don’t even imagine it: it’s 0.2%. How do ‘patriots’ expect universities to meet their requirements of academic staff?” one user asked.
The debate highlights the complex tensions between national employment concerns and the increasingly global nature of higher education.
South African universities have long recruited academics from across the continent and beyond, particularly in specialised fields where skills shortages exist.
Foreign academics also contribute significantly to research output, postgraduate supervision and international collaboration.
However, the issue has become increasingly politicised amid rising anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Groups such as March and March have mobilised campaigns against undocumented migrants, arguing foreigners contribute to unemployment, crime and pressure public services.
Similar sentiments have fuelled periodic protests and calls for stricter immigration controls.
The growing hostility has had regional repercussions and of late, countries like Ghana and Nigeria have facilitated the return of some of their nationals following outbreaks of xenophobic violence and concerns about the safety of their citizens in South Africa.
Reached for comment, Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena said such a debate was expected given the current mood in the neighboring country.
He, however, noted that deeper questions should be answered.
“The questions should be whether South Africa’s economic frustrations should be addressed through greater localisation of jobs or through maintaining an open, merit-based system that draws talent from across the continent,” he said, adding those employed in higher education institutions undergo proper recruitment processes and possess the necessary work permits and qualifications.
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