IN CONVERSATION WITH PROF. SAKHELA BUHLUNGU, SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIOLOGY SCHOLAR AND VICE-CHANCELL & PRINCIPAL OF UFH

Continuing with our conversation The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has raised concerns about the employment of foreign academics, warning institutions not to use internationalisation as a reason to bypass immigration and labour laws. This comes amid concerns about weak oversight, unreliable data, and instances where foreign nationals may be employed in roles that are not classified as critical or scarce skills.
While official data shows that foreign staff make up just under eight percent of university employees, mostly in teaching and research positions, the issue goes beyond numbers. It raises deeper concerns about fairness, compliance with the law, the protection of local opportunities, and the role of internationalisation in strengthening academic quality.