Confusion over proposed changes to employment laws has sparked concern among employers and domestic workers alike.
Under the proposed Employment Services Bill, those who hire undocumented foreign workers could face fines of up to R100,000, criminal prosecution and possible jail time.
Those laws aren’t in force yet; however, under the Immigration Act of 2002, it is against the law for employers to employ illegal foreigners and/or to allow a documented foreigner to perform work outside the scope of their visa or permit.
But SweepSouth CEO Lourandi Kriel says the biggest impact right now isn’t new legislation; it’s the fear many workers are experiencing amid rising anti-immigration sentiment.
“This last week has been really rough in our industry. We’re very plugged into the workers on our platform. What we see is that not only Zimbabweans but even South Africans are getting attacked just on suspicion that they might not be South African.”
June 30 saw anti-immigrant protests taking place across South Africa following weeks of rising anti-foreigner sentiment and unrest in the country.
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Kriel said SweepSouth has seen workers becoming increasingly anxious about travelling to and from work, with some choosing to stay home because they no longer feel safe.
She added that some foreign workers had indicated they may return to their home countries in the coming months.
“Some of them indicated to us that they might go home in the next month or two because of feeling unsafe.”
Kriel said SweepSouth has always verified workers’ identity documents and work permits before allowing them onto the platform.
“We have a very rigorous onboarding process… We work with background, criminal and work permit checks, and if someone can’t provide updated documentation, we suspend that worker.”
As to creating more opportunities for South Africans looking for work, Kriel said SweepSouth has been advocating for getting more locals on the app.
“We try really hard to get more South Africans onto our platform, and we’ve been doing it for many years. It’s something that we actively work towards… we have to give South African youth more jobs.”
She added that SweepSouth is working with youth employment programmes to recruit more unemployed South Africans into domestic work.
“It’s good for the economy; it’s just generally good for the country.”
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