Top Kenyan skilled workers have become part of South Africa's economic backbone, with the East African country emerging as one of Pretoria's sources of imported labour.
Pretoria officials say Kenya is among the “top 10” exporters of skilled workers in sectors including banking, hospitality and logistics, indicating an important role in key services fueling Africa's largest economy.
The revelation came during the continental and global policy dialogue on technical and vocational education and training (TVT) and higher education in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where regional leaders are meeting to harmonize education systems.
The growing pipeline Makhapa Makhafola, chief operating officer of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), said Kenyan professionals and students are increasingly moving south, making Kenya the primary focus for South Africa's testing systems.
While Zimbabwe remains the primary source of foreign labor for South Africa, Kenya has moved into the top tier along with West African countries Nigeria and Ghana. “Kenya is now in our top 10 countries,” Dr Makhafola said on the sidelines of the forum. “We are seeing a steady flow of Kenyans seeking recognition of their qualifications to unlock opportunities in our labor market.” Mobility barriers This surge highlights the quality and portability of Kenyan education, while also underscoring challenges in cross-border movement and immigration.
Dr Makhafola explained that African talent often finds it easier to move outside the continent than within it, a barrier SAQA is working to eliminate through the African Continental Qualifications Framework. Furthermore, immigration conditions, including visa requirements, have often made it difficult for intra-African skilled workers to enter.
SAQA officials reported that many Kenyans moving south have “legacy” qualifications obtained from colleges or programs established in the 1990s and early 2000s that later closed or reorganized. “One of our challenges is to deal with the history of institutions that are no longer there, even though the qualifications are valid,” Dr Makhafola said. “In these cases, we work directly with the Kenyan government to verify the validity of those records and ensure that the program was accredited at the time of the study.” Social Tensions However, South Africa has had to deal with social friction arising from the entry of foreign workers. Officials acknowledge that much of the tension occurs in semi-skilled sectors as well as entrepreneurship, which may require greater awareness of responsibilities on both sides.
South Africa has often been a top destination for immigrants from other parts of Africa, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Nigeria. It also arrests undocumented immigrants from other African countries from time to time.
According to official figures, an estimated 150,000 foreigners are legally working as expatriates in South Africa, although the number could rise to 400,000 when refugees with work permits and students on temporary visas allowing short-term work are included. About 40,000 Kenyans live and work in South Africa or study there under short-term residence.
However, the forum in Addis Ababa praised Kenya's recent investment in TVAT. As South Africa prepares to phase out about 1,000 obsolete qualifications this June to keep pace with modern market demands, Kenya was cited as a positive example of a country raising the status of vocational skills. “The focus has shifted from getting a degree to developing skills that produce employers and innovators,” Dr Makhafola said.
As the African Union enters its Education and Skills Development Decade (2025-2034), the “Kenya-South Africa” corridor is expected to become a blueprint for how African nations can rely on each other’s certifications, ensuring that a plumber from Kisumu or an engineer from Nairobi can find work in Johannesburg without bureaucratic friction.
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