Universities defend global hiring as essential to competitiveness

Universities South Africa (USAf) has pushed back against Parliament’s portfolio committee on Higher Education and Training, defending universities’ right to recruit internationally as critical to maintaining their place in a global knowledge economy. The committee’s position is that foreign academics should only be appointed where there are insufficient suitably qualified South Africans, with institutions required to prioritise local candidates and ensure international recruitment does not come at the expense of citizens. USAf executive officer Phethiwe Matutu said the view that foreign academics should only be hired for scarce skills reflects a limited understanding of how modern universities operate.

She said higher education institutions function within an interconnected global system where the exchange of knowledge, skills and expertise across borders is essential. The idea that foreign academics are displacing local talent is not borne out by evidence or by institutional practice. It is a baseless misconception.

She pointed to Department of Higher Education and Training data showing that foreign academics made up about 14% — or 6 685 of 47 078 staff — at South African universities in 2024, well below international norms where leading systems often exceed 20% to 30%. Matutu said universities require a balance of local and international academics not only to strengthen teaching and research, but also to remain competitive in global rankings. Despite this, the portfolio committee has stood firm.

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Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie on Monday toldThe Witnessthat MPs stood by their position. The committee is advocating that institutions of higher learning should only hire foreign academics where there are not enough locals with the requisite skills to fill vacancies.

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