South Africa Launches Labour and Immigration Inspection Operation

Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya described the coordinated inspections as a first for the country during an operation in Tshwane.

South Africa has launched its first coordinated nationwide labour and immigration inspection operation, with enforcement teams conducting simultaneous checks across all nine provinces to protect workers' rights and improve compliance with labour and immigration laws. The operation is led by the Department of Employment and Labour and the Department of Home Affairs, with support from the South African Police Service and other enforcement agencies.

Inspections begin across all provinces

Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya described the coordinated inspections as a first for the country during an operation in Tshwane. He said the government would continue the sweeping inspections rather than treating them as a once-off action.

The initiative follows a push for stronger law enforcement and closer coordination among government departments. Officials are checking whether employers meet legal obligations covering wages, working conditions, worker registration and employment documentation.

Focus on worker protection and legal employment

Sibiya said the inspections are designed to protect employees while ensuring that businesses follow the laws that regulate workplaces. He stressed that enforcement teams work every day, even when their activities are not always visible to the public.

A key part of the operation is addressing the employment of undocumented foreign nationals. Sibiya said enforcement should also focus on employers who create demand for illegal work by hiring people without documents that allow them to work in South Africa.

The government said the broader goal is a safer country and a labour market where employers, workers and jobseekers operate within the law.

Alleged breaches found at Tshwane textile firm

During Friday's inspections, Sibiya and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza visited Amka and Korteks Textiles Africa in Tshwane. At Korteks Textiles, inspectors found alleged labour-law violations that included workers reportedly being paid below the national minimum wage, working long hours without overtime compensation and not being registered for the Unemployment Insurance Fund or Compensation Fund.

Inspectors also found that some workers had allegedly not received required personal protective equipment. The company's director was arrested on allegations of employing undocumented foreign nationals, while eight undocumented foreign nationals were also arrested during the operation.

More operations planned

Government said the multidisciplinary inspections will continue in provinces across the country. The programme brings labour inspectors, immigration officials and police closer together, creating a wider response to workplace non-compliance. Officials say the sustained checks will help curb exploitation, improve legal employment practices and build a labour market that is fairer for workers and responsible employers.