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South Africa Expat Forum

BEE - Black, White or Coloured?

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justyna

5/13/2009 19:33 EST

I am very seriously considering immigrating to South Africa, but am worried about the BEE laws. I am not complaining about the laws, but rather concerned as to where I fit in terms of South African notions of 'race.'

I was born in Poland, to a Polish mother and Moroccan father. My father is half Arab, half Berber ('indigenous North African'). I have Canadian and Polish citizenship, and also Moroccan (and therefore African) citizenship but I do not carry a Moroccan passport.

I never call myself white; of course I am 'caucasian' if such a thing exists, but I am light 'brown'-skinned for lack of a better term.

I think if I moved to South Africa, I would be judged by employers on the basis of my father's North African/Arab heritage, or on the flipside, entirely on my being born in Europe.

If I move to South Africa, it is important that I am not recognized as being white. So how does it work? When I apply for permanent residency, do I have to specify my race and/or nationality? Do I somehow get to choose where I want to fit in? Could I fit into the classification of 'coloured'? Are Arabs viewed as white or coloured?

I would be really upset to make the far move from Canada, only to realize I am considered white and therefore barred from the majority of jobs. Here in Canada, I am very clearly a visible minority, but by African standards, I may be seen entirely as white.

Could a South African shed some light on this issue?

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jmorgan

5/15/2009 07:31 EST

If you aren't South African you can't be 'previously disadvantaged' so no matter what your background is you are just counted as foreign.

Work visas in South Africa are difficult to obtain because the employer must first prove that the skills are not available in SA, and they have made a reasonable effort to hire a South African (white or black) before going outside the country. Depending on your profession, you can try to get a Quota Work Permit. This visa is for people who have skills that are in demand and scarce in South Africa. You can go onto the Home Affairs website to see the list of jobs that qualify for the Quota visa.

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BiancaW

5/21/2009 06:01 EST

Well, it is a difficult question!
I think you would be in the coloured group, even if because of the passport and the light complexion you could also considered white.

Anyway I am a foreign white lady and I have been offered jobs anyway because of my special skills (language skills mostly). It is not so true that jobs are barred for white people, it depends mostly on your qualifications and skills. There is shortage of skilled labour in certain areas (engineering for example) so if I were you I would consider first my abilities and then my BEE status.
The most difficult part is to find a company willing to go through the complicated process of sponsorising your working visa, you must be worth the trouble!
Good luck

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stlc

8/28/2009 14:56 EST

Ummm I am a South African born and bred and you would be classified as coloured cuz of the Arab.
but I must say your Question is extremely odd - getting a better job cause of your colour.
Yes we do have systems in place so that all ppl have a chance for a job ie) certain amount of Caucasians, blacks, coloureds, woman, men etc etc.
But to make that your main focus is odd in my opinion.
You will get the job no matter what you look like on the outside if you are 'right' for the job.

Good luck

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