South Africa Critical Skills List2023 Official
Complete official list of Critical Skills occupations for South African Critical Skills Visa applications. Search and verify if your occupation qualifies.
Search Critical Skills Occupations
Find your occupation on the official Critical Skills List. Your occupation must appear exactly as listed to qualify.
Director (Enterprise / Organisation)
OFO Code: 2021-112101
Determines, formulates, and reviews the general policy program and the overall direction of an organisation
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Policy and Planning Manager
OFO Code: 2021-121301
Plans, develops, organises, directs, controls and coordinates policy advice and strategic planning within organisations
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Corporate General Manager
OFO Code: 2021-121901
Plans, organises, directs, controls and reviews the day-to-day operations and major functions of a commercial, industrial or other organisation
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Programme or Project Manager
OFO Code: 2021-121905
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates special programmes or projects
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Quality Systems Manager
OFO Code: 2021-121908
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates the deployment of quality systems and certification processes
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Customer Service Manager (Business Process Outsourcing sector)
OFO Code: 2021-122105
Plans, administers and reviews customer services and aftersales services and maintains sound customer relations
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Research and Development Manager
OFO Code: 2021-122301
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates research and development activities within organisations
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Manufacturing Operations Manager
OFO Code: 2021-132102
Plans, organises, directs and controls the manufacturing activities of an organisation including physical and human resources
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Engineering Manager
OFO Code: 2021-132104
Plans, organises, directs, controls and coordinates the design, operation and construction of engineering and process plants
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Physicist
OFO Code: 2021-211101
Studies matter, space, time, energy, forces and fields and the interrelationship between these physical phenomena
Minimum Qualification
Master's Degree (NQF Level 9)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Climate Change Scientist
OFO Code: 2021-211205
Evaluate scientific data carries out research on the climate to create predictive models of likely changes
Minimum Qualification
Master's Degree (NQF Level 9)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Chemist
OFO Code: 2021-211301
Studies the chemical and physical properties of substances, and develops and monitors chemical processes
Minimum Qualification
Master's Degree (NQF Level 9)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Civil Engineer
OFO Code: 2021-214201
Plans, designs, organises and oversees the construction and operation of civil engineering projects
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Mechanical Engineer
OFO Code: 2021-214401
Plans, designs, organises and oversees the assembly, erection, operation and maintenance of mechanical plant
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Chemical Engineer
OFO Code: 2021-214501
Designs and prepares specifications for chemical process systems and the construction of chemical plants
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Mining Engineer
OFO Code: 2021-214601
Plans and directs the engineering aspects of locating and extracting minerals from the earth
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
ICT Systems Analyst
OFO Code: 2021-251101
Evaluates processes, and methods used in existing ICT systems, proposes modifications
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF Level 7)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Data Scientist
OFO Code: 2021-251102
Collect large amounts of unruly data and transform it into a more usable format
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF Level 7)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Software Developer
OFO Code: 2021-251201
Researches, analyses and evaluates requirements for existing or new software applications
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF Level 7)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Developer Programmer
OFO Code: 2021-251203
Interprets specifications, technical designs and flow charts, builds, maintains and modifies code
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF Level 7)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Medical Practitioner – specialist ANAESTHESIOLOGY
OFO Code: 2021-2212
Provide health services in medicine confined to the specialty of Anaesthesiology
Minimum Qualification
Medical degree Master of Medicine (Anaesthesiology)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Medical Practitioner – specialist CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
OFO Code: 2021-2212
Provide health services in medicine confined to the specialty of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Minimum Qualification
Medical degree Master of Medicine (Cardiothoracic Surgery)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Medical Practitioner – specialist DERMATOLOGY
OFO Code: 2021-2212
Provide health services in medicine confined to the specialty of Dermatology
Minimum Qualification
Medical degree Master of Medicine (Dermatology)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Medical Practitioner – specialist MEDICINE
OFO Code: 2021-2212
Provide health services in medicine confined to the specialty of Medicine
Minimum Qualification
Medical degree Master of Medicine (Medicine)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Tax Professional
OFO Code: 2021-241103
Analyses, reports and provides advice on taxation issues to tax entities
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Investment Analyst
OFO Code: 2021-241201
Analyses individual securities, industries and the economy, publishes reports
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Investment Manager
OFO Code: 2021-241202
Manages a portfolio of securities on behalf of clients
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor Honours Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 8)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
University Lecturer – Senior Lecturer and above
OFO Code: 2021-231101
Lectures students and conducts tutorials and research at University level
Minimum Qualification
Professional Doctoral Qualification (NQF Level 9) or Doctorate (NQF Level 10)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
FET Phase School Teacher (Grades 10-12) – STEM subjects
OFO Code: 2021-233107
Teaches STEM subjects at FET phase
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF Level 7)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Senior Phase School Teacher (Grades 8-9) – STEM subjects
OFO Code: 2021-233108
Teaches STEM subjects at Senior phase
Minimum Qualification
Bachelor's Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF Level 7)
Professional Registration
Relevant Professional body, council or board recognised by SAQA
Important Notes
Not a Work-Seekers Visa: A critical skills work visa is not a work-seekers visa. All applications must be accompanied by an offer of employment from verifiable employers in good standing with the Department of Employment and Labour.
Exact Match Required: Your occupation must appear exactly as listed on the Critical Skills List. Similar or related occupations do not qualify.
Professional Registration: Most occupations require registration with relevant professional bodies recognized by SAQA.
Candidate Status: Engineering applicants registered as "Candidate" with SAQA Professional Bodies may be considered provided they work under qualified professional supervision.
Official Source: Government Gazette No. 49402, dated 3 October 2023, Department of Home Affairs, under Immigration Act 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002), Sections 19(4).
Critical Skills List FAQ
Common questions about the South African Critical Skills List and Critical Skills Visa applications.
How do I check if my occupation is on the Critical Skills List?
Search for your occupation by name or OFO code using our search tool above. Your occupation must appear exactly as listed on the Critical Skills List to qualify for a Critical Skills Visa.
What is an OFO code and why is it important?
OFO (Organising Framework for Occupations) codes are unique identifiers for each occupation. When applying for a Critical Skills Visa, you must specify the exact OFO code that matches your occupation on the list.
Can I apply if my occupation is similar but not exactly listed?
No, your occupation must appear exactly as it is written on the Critical Skills List. Similar or related occupations do not qualify unless they are specifically listed.
What qualifications do I need for Critical Skills occupations?
Each occupation has specific minimum qualification requirements ranging from NQF Level 3 to Level 10 (Doctorate). Check the qualification column for your specific occupation.
Do I need professional body registration for all occupations?
Most occupations require registration with a relevant professional body recognized by SAQA. Some occupations may have specific registration requirements or exemptions.
When was this Critical Skills List last updated?
This list was published in Government Gazette No. 49402 on 3 October 2023. Always check for the latest updates on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Found Your Occupation? Apply for Critical Skills Visa
If your occupation is on the Critical Skills List, our immigration experts can help you navigate the application process with our 93% success rate.