These South African provinces employ the most foreign nationals?

South Africa is home to thousands of foreign nationals from neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique and Botswana, many of whom travel across its borders in search of employment opportunities.

While migrant workers are employed across various industries, new figures from the Department of Employment and Labour have revealed how their presence is distributed across the country’s provinces.

more foreign nationals found working in sa

The department’s latest workplace inspection report identified 231 850 foreign nationals employed at inspected workplaces by the end of the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

Gauteng and North West recorded the highest numbers, with the two provinces accounting for more than half of the foreign nationals identified during the inspections.

The figures provide an insight into the distribution of migrant workers across the country’s provinces, amid growing government concerns about foreign nationals occupying entry-level positions that could potentially be filled by South African jobseekers.

The department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch identified 231 850 foreign nationals during inspections of 168 766 workplaces by the end of the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

According to IES Inspector General Aggy Moiloa, 21 371 of the inspected workplaces were found to be employing migrant workers.

Gauteng and North West lead the provincial rankings

Gauteng recorded the highest number, with 59 624 foreign nationals employed at workplaces inspected by the department.

It was followed closely by North West, which had 58 533 foreign nationals, while the Western Cape ranked third with 34 675.

Limpopo was fourth with 24 972 foreign nationals, followed by the Eastern Cape with 20 385.

The remaining provinces recorded the following figures:

• KwaZulu-Natal: 13 295
• Mpumalanga: 11 560
• Free State: 5 173
• Northern Cape: 3 571

A further 62 foreign nationals were recorded under the department’s head office.

The figures show that Gauteng and North West together accounted for more than half of the migrant workers identified during the inspections.

Agriculture and retail among the biggest foreign nationals employers

The department also identified agriculture as the sector employing the highest number of foreign nationals.

The sector accounted for 46 533 migrant workers across 1 205 employers, while wholesale and retail followed with 41 359 foreign nationals across 6 698 employers.

Other industries featuring among the top 10 included community services, manufacturing, hospitality, construction, mining, private security, financial services and education.

Moiloa expressed concern that many migrants were occupying entry-level positions that could be filled by South Africans.

She was addressing the department’s Public Employment Services (PES) branch 2026 National Strategic Planning Conference in Rustenburg, North West.