Entries by xp-admin

NEWS | REALISE YOUR HUMAN CAPITAL POTENTIAL

07/10/2019 in , /by

However, a lack of critical skills needed for a high-growth economy in today’s digital world threatens South Africa’s economic revitalisation. A recent critical skills survey by Xpatweb shows that the IT, engineering, finance and health sectors suffer from a shortage of skills.

“IT specialists and engineers are at the top of the list of critically short skills, confirming our long-held belief that investing in training is an investment in your company’s future competitiveness,” says Tebogo Makagatho, CEO of Netcampus. “Our growing curriculum of courses reflects our vision of providing both business and government with a flexible way to upskill their IT staff, particularly in the vital area of cyber security.”

Denial of service, malware, data breaches and now ransomware are just some of the common security challenges facing organisations.

As business and government move increasingly online, criminals are following them. Cisco estimates that 31% of organisations have experienced cyber attacks on operational technology infrastructure, Symantec estimates that some 24 000 malicious mobile apps are blocked daily, and the average number of breached records by country was 24 089. Website attacks increased by 59% in 2018.

Getting to grips with cyber security

“The statistics are frightening, and small businesses are as vulnerable as corporates. The ability to protect, detect and respond to cyber threats is now a critical success factor – organisations that lack this capability will not be sustainable,” says Westley van Straten, technology lead and senior trainer at Netcampus. “Ensuring your employees – end-users in addition to technical staff – have the necessary cyber security skills is the only way to counter this challenge.”

Netcampus was recently named an Accredited Training Centre for ECCouncil, a globally leading cyber security credentialing body. EC-Council is the owner and developer of the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH). Its certification programmes are recognised globally by, the United States Federal Government (via the Montgomery GI Bill), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS).

Van Straten says that the C|EH certification is one of the most high-rated information security training programmes because of the insight it provides into the advanced hacking tools and techniques used by cyber criminals.Most importantly, the C|EH training program provides excellent lab access for students to gain vital practical skills in how to protect against, and detect, cyber criminals.

“EC-Council training bouquet also includes the Certified Network Defender for network administrators and Certified Secure Computer User for end-users, among many others,” he says. “As an Accredited Training Centre, we offer all these programmes, as well as the C|EH (Practical) course, which is the next step from the C|EH certification. To be effective, individuals need to understand the attack and the tool being used, and then implement a mitigation initiative.

“There’s no such thing as foolproof security, so one needs an integrated approach across the whole security lifecycle.”

When it comes to mitigating an attack, he stresses that partnering with a reputable vendor is the obvious choice for most organisations as open source options require a high degree of technical knowledge.

“To prove that you are proficient in Ethical Hacking, C|EH (Practical) doesn’t give you simulations. Many other certification providers talk about performance-based assessments, but the reality is they do not test your skills in a real-life environment. Most of these ‘performance-based tests’ are limited to simulations that are limited to testing knowledge instead of skills.” said Jay Bavisi, President of EC-Council Group.

Bringing Cyber Security Mastery to You

Netcampus, being the strategic partner for the region is partnering with EC-Council to bring high quality, affordable, hands-on cyber security training in a comfortable and traditional classroom environment through EC-Council Masterclass training in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 25-28, 2019.

The training is delivered by EC-Council’s Master Trainers who are industry experts with years of experience in handling the most complex threats. The courseware is structured according to industry standards and is available online with round-the-clock access for quick learning. The Masterclass series provides an opportunity to network with peers to discover the best practices and trends in the industry.

Prepping for 4IR

If cyber security is mandatory in today’s digital world, it’s becoming increasingly clear that skills related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) are growing in importance, says Otsile Mabyane, programme manager: strategic projects at Netcampus.

“Government, from the President down, is talking a lot about 4IR and the opportunities it offers – and the skills we need to acquire in order to ride that particular wave,” he says. “While 4IR is in its infancy, we do definitely need to begin to acquire high-level skills like data science and artificial intelligence. But we need to begin somewhere, and I would argue that government itself has a golden opportunity to drive a shift towards a digital economy by changing the way it does things. By speeding up the move to e-government, the state will lead the charge in upskilling our population, and realising the huge wealth of human capital that exists in this country.”

In this regard, Mabyane says that Netcampus has developed the capability to help organisations in both the public and private sectors contribute to the goal of upskilling the country while also driving technology adoption within their organisation. Netcampus has already collaborated with clients to train interns in specific software skills and then deploy them within the client organisation as `agents of adoption’ or champions, helping permanent staff to accustom themselves to using new technology to do their work.

“In this way, we are helping clients to ensure that important technologies, like Azure, for example, are properly adopted within their organisations – but we’re also deepening the pool of young people with valuable IT skills,” he says. “That’s building the country from the bottom up.”

Source: Brainstorm Magazine

NEWS | DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS SHEDS LIGHT ON CRITICAL SKILLS IN SA

30/09/2019 in , /by

The Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) Director of the Corporate Accounts Unit, Mr Phindiwe Mbhele, has provided some much-needed insight to HR professionals in terms of the Critical Skills Visas and its requirements at the recent SARA International Mobility event in September 2019.

Critical skills visa journey

The first list identifying the scarcity of critical skills in South Africa, first published in 2006 and revised in 2009 and 2014, has become an ever-evolving element in recruiting skilled foreign nationals within the country.

From 2006 and prior to the publication of the current Critical Skills List, the ‘Quota Work Permit’ (since replaced by the now Critical Skills Work Visa), required consultation with the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Trade and Industry in order to support the issuance of such a permit to a foreign national, and to determine the number of work permits that may be issued.

It is evident that the DHA throughout the years has continuously strived to simplify and improve the visa application process to allow employers to attract skills.

An example hereof is the uncapped number of work visas available within the Critical Skills List, this is however subject to constant monitoring to ensure that there is not a undesired influx of skills in the country.

Critical skills vs scarce skills  

Many may identify Critical Skills and Scarce Skills as the same thing, however Mr Mbhele clearly differentiated the two terms.

The definition of “Critical Skills” are those that are regarded as critical for the improvement of economic growth, and without such skills, projects that serve to improve the economy, cannot be undertaken. Naturally, it also refers to high-level skills that are not easily sought within the country.

There is availability of certain levels of skills as prescribed in the Critical Skills list, however, the intention is to expand the “skill pool(s)” in order to accelerate further growth within the South African economy.

Conversely, Scarce Skills are identified as those that are unavailable in the country, however, are not always necessarily deemed to be in high in demand.

Temporary residence vs permanent residence as a critical skills holder

Mr Mbhele further provided a clear distinction between Temporary and Permanent residency in terms of those whom are Critically Skilled.

In order to qualify for a Critical Skills Visa, a person must possess a certain level of skills and qualifications and must be able to demonstrate such skills in line with the prescribed critical skills category.

Where employment is yet to be secured, this visa shall be issued for a period of twelve months to enable the person to seek and secure the appropriate employment within the country.

However, where there has already been employment secured, the visa may be issued for a period of up to five (5) years, albeit subject to passport validity and the duration of employment.

One of the upsides of obtaining a Critical Skills Visa is that the person immediately qualifies for Permanent Residency, however such a permit may only be issued once a permanent offer of employment is available to the applicant.

A Permanent Residency application is further reviewed and processed based on the person’s professional category and/or occupational class.

Does the OIHD list support the critical skills list?

Regrettably, no. Mr Mbhele has clarified the Occupations in High Demand (OIHD) list and its impact on the Critical Skills sector.

Accordingly, the OIHD list may not be associated with Critical Skills list as the OIHD list cannot be utilised for South African Immigration purposes.

The OIHD list serves to South Africans and the improvement of the Post School Education and Training System (PSET) and to identify the occupations that have been classified as high in demand and/or conversely, occupations that are experiencing scarce skills, but may expect an influx of demand in the future.

Why we need your input

Some occupations identified as Critical, may however be removed from the Critical Skills list due to the limited number of positions available within the country filled, not only by foreigners, but by South Africans.

This was made evident by the Department of Health’s recently issued notice indicating the suspension of the recruitment of foreign doctors.

Mr Mbhele advised that the new Critical Skills draft list is due to be published by April 2020.

As South African employers, it is our duty to provide input to the DHA in terms of those skills that are deemed critical across the respective sectors to ensure we continue to be able to attract the skills that contribute to the growth of our economy.

Xpatweb’s 2019 Critical Skills Survey allows South African employers to provide their feedback and input toward the economic growth. Participate in Xpatweb’s 2019 Critical Skills survey, here.

AUTHOR

Marisa Jacobs
Director

NEWS | IN 2019 RECORD NUMBERS OF SOUTH AFRICANS APPLYING FOR A SECOND EU PASSPORT (PLAN B)

26/09/2019 in , /by

The enticement of a second European Passport through Investment has seen Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Portugal experiencing vast an increase of applicants from South Africans. Since 2018, there has been an increase of 364% in interest from South Africans for a second passport. What many South Africans call “Plan B” continues to gain popularity.

With a European Passport, the prospect of living in any country forming part of the European Union is highly attractive. South Africans are looking to their future and that of their children, the idea of having the opportunity to study and work in any country across the EU remains appetising.

Ease of travel is also a key reason, with the South African Passport allowing access to 102 countries however excluding the world biggest economies such as the US, UK, Europe Schengen area and Canada. A Cyprus Passport allows visa free travel to 169 countries, Greece 183 countries, Malta 182 countries and Portugal allows visa free travel to 184 countries. Thus, travel, education, employment, business opportunities and safeguarding a better future for their family are key reasons for record numbers of South Africans in the past 12 months applying for Second EU Passports.

Marisa Jacobs from Xpatweb explains that depending on the EU Scheme, these EU Passports can be ascertained through Investments starting from €250,000 and take between 6 months – 7 years to attain the EU Passport (no residency period in the country required). Therefore, a South African does not have to permanently live in the country to attain the EU Passport.

Vast numbers of South Africans are looking to the future and are open to making the investment for both themselves and their children’s future.

As the largest provider of services to foreign nationals working and living in South Africa and South Africans abroad, Xpatweb understands the options available, the pitfalls and opportunities that arise and can recommend reputable providers in the market for our clients.

For more information contact: marisa@xpatweb.com

AUTHOR

Marisa Jacobs
Director

NEWS | MORE AND MORE SOUTH AFRICANS ARE EMIGRATING TO MAURITIUS

18/09/2019 in , /by

“The island seemingly offers a more stable political and financial climate, and its geographic location and affiliation to the African continent makes it attractive to South Africans”, says Aditi Boolell, Lead Advisory at the Temple Group in Mauritius.

The island is fast paced in its overall growth, seeking to expand its outreach globally and trying to keep up with global trends such as financial technology and blockchain.

“Mauritius may still be a developing country compared to the UK, Australia or New Zealand but it offers sound infrastructure, free public education to its residents and reliable private and public healthcare facilities,” she says.

Jonty Leon, tax attorney at Tax Consulting SA, adds that Mauritius is just “a hop-skip-and-a-jump” from South Africa. This makes it still accessible to the “home of the heart”, but it gives South Africans the benefit of being outside SA’s monetary area for exchange control and tax purposes.

The lack of economic growth, the devastation of state capture and recent talks of using people’s hard-earned savings to bail out badly managed state-owned enterprises are making South Africans looking for safe havens, such as Mauritius, where their assets will be protected.

The options

The three categories of occupation permits are:

  • for the person seeking employment;
  • for the person looking to be self-employed;
  • for the person looking to set up his own company in Mauritius.

Under the Occupation Permit the investment requirement can differ from nothing to $100,000. As opposed to some countries, the immigration regime in Mauritius does not rely on a checklist system but rather determines the eligibility of an application on a case by case basis.

Occupation permits are valid for three years and are renewable upon the fulfilment of certain conditions.

The golden egg – permanent residence

Boolell said there is also an “increasing and urgent” demand from South Africans considering retirement and permanent residence in Mauritius.

People seeking residency on a long-term basis will have to invest a minimum of $500,000. This can be done through the purchase of property under a scheme approved by the Economic Development Board, or through an investment into “qualifying activities”, also approved by the board.

For those skeptical of making a USD 500,000 investment without having experienced living in the country first, there is the option of coming in on the above-mentioned Occupation Permits or on a Residence Permit as a Retired Non-Citizen (where the applicant is above 50 years of age). This would allow the expat to discover living and/or working in Mauritius for a minimum period of 3 years. Thereafter, at the time of renewing their permits, they may make an application for a Permanent Residence Permit subject to satisfying the higher criteria accompanying this application. If the aim of an expat is long-term residency in Mauritius, this should be planned for at the time of the first application itself to make sure that, upon renewal of the permit, there will be no obstacle for an application to permanent residency.

“The purchase of property will also allow an expat to apply for a residence permit which will be valid for as long as that property is not sold to a third party”, Boolell explains.

Investing in a qualifying activity makes the expat eligible to seek a permanent residence permit which will span over a decade.

Breaking ties

Leon advises that once the decision has been made to relocate, it is important for people to follow the right procedures. They need to show that they have no intention of returning to South Africa.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) will apply both the physical presence test as well as the ordinarily resident test to determine the tax status of individuals who are living and working abroad.

People who have obtained long term residency in Mauritius will have peace of mind that that they are well on their way to not being tax resident of South Africa. Especially where they have formalized their status with SARS and SARB by using the Financial Emigration process.

There is an exit charge in terms of capital gains tax, but immovable property in SA, pension funds, retirement annuities and preservation funds are all excluded from the exit charge, Leon says.

The costs

A main consideration for people wanting to emigrate is the initial relocation costs, as well as the cost of living in a new country.

Mauritius ticks all the right boxes with competitive business set up costs, a more discretionary immigration process rather than strict legal requirements and a quicker route to permanent residency than countries such as the UK, US and even Portugal.

NEWS | UNITED STATES INVESTOR VISA PROGRAM – DRASTIC CHANGES LOOMING

17/09/2019 in , /by

EB-5 Investor Visa

The US has run an investor program since 1990 whereby individuals who want to obtain a green card in the US can invest funds in the US while meeting certain requirements, and if met, would be able to subsequently obtain permanent residency and later, citizenship. The program is here to stay, however, requirements are rapidly becoming more onerous on the individual. These requirements officially change on 21 November 2019.

Current State of Play

Before the change in regulation takes place, the investor needs to meet the following requirements to be granted an EB-5 visa:

  • Invest $500 000,00;
  • Which funds must consist of lawfully obtained capital;
  • In a new commercial enterprise, which is noted as an “at risk” investment; and
  • Which creates at least 10 jobs for US workers

Change in Regulation

As noted, the regulation around the EB-5 visa is changing from 21 November 2019. All the requirements, except one, from the current regulation remain the same. The difference is that from the effective date of the amendment, the required investment increases from $500 000,00 to $900 000,00 in order to qualify for the program.

For those who have been planning on investing in the US to one day obtain citizenship, it is becoming a whole lot more expensive.

Advantages of the Investor Program
While the obvious advantage of the program is that the investor can obtain permanent residency and later citizenship in the US, the program also provides other incentives, especially where the service provider who assists with the application, is top notch and knows where to invest. Other advantages include:

  • The investor does not require an offer of employment in the US or a labour certification application;
  • The investor does not require any particular background, education or experience;
  • The program extends to the investor’s spouse and their children, who are under 21 and unmarried; and
  • Once all conditions are met and the investor receives an unconditional green card, the investment can be returned to the investor.

Act Fast

Taking into consideration the change in regulation, those who intend to settle in the US should consider jumping at the opportunity while it still lasts. With so many fly-by-night organizations punting to provide the service, it is important to perform due diligence and find a reputable provider. Having dealt with South Africans leaving, or considering leaving to the US, means one often needs to understand the options available and find reputable providers in the market for our clients. Should this idea be something one is interested in, I have always been happy to introduce clients to the best in the market – feel free to contact me at jonty@financialemigration.co.za

AUTHOR

Jonty Leon
Legal Manager – Financial Emigration