South Africa: Gauteng Cuts Funding for Non-South African Social Workers

Non-profits will no longer receive provincial funding for immigrant workers, a move organisations say "goes against their very ethics and morals"

Non-profit organisations in Gauteng may no longer use provincial funding to pay non-South African employees according to new service level agreement (SLA) clauses introduced by the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD).

The 2026 SLA also mandates that senior board positions, such as chairperson and treasurer, must be held by South African citizens. Immigrant workers may only be retained if they demonstrate "scarce skills."

For Fatima Shaik, executive director of People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), the impact is immediate. A Zimbabwean social worker who has served the organisation for 15 years, is fully documented and eligible for permanent residency, now faces losing her salary because the department is POWA's primary funder.

Even if Shaik finds alternative funding, the GDSD still requires a South African to fill the funded position.

Since 1979, POWA has provided crucial services for victims of gender-based violence and femicide. It operates 14 offices and two shelters across Gauteng.

Shaik called out "ridiculous excuses" from officials. She said interpretations of the policy vary between Joburg's seven administrative regions and Gauteng's local municipalities, adding to the administrative burden. Worse still, GDSD does not fund the organisation's administrative staff needed to navigate these complexities.

These funding dilemmas threaten the stability of services that vulnerable people depend on.

Department spokesperson Motsamai Motlhaolwa said the new clause was to "ensure that South African citizens who possess social work qualifications are prioritised".

He said social work is not considered a scarce skill, and there is a database of about 2,000 unemployed social workers in the province.

However, Lisa Vetten, Gauteng Care Crisis Committee chairperson, says the problem is not immigrants displacing South Africans, but rather government's failure to provide social work graduates with a path to employment.

Motlhaolwa said the clause would not apply retrospectively and only applies to new hires.

However, in practice this has not happened and POWA has not received any funding for the Zimbabwean social worker.

Motlhaolwa said the clause is also to "protect the best interests of vulnerable groups". Foreign-born workers cannot be properly vetted.

In response, Vetten said that immigrant social workers are documented, vetted and have the necessary work visas. If they had committed a crime, they