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It
is advisable to take English lessons or
brush up your level.
With a local company :
If you are employed by a local company
your employer may take charge of the
residence formalities and deal with the
arrangements for your social
cover.
With
an international company :
If you are employed by a French or
international company you will not have to
worry about the formalities, usually the
administrative services deal with all the
formalities concerning expatriate staff,
unless you should be the only
representative of your company in the
country (commercial representative or in
charge of a liaising office ...). In this
case you will have to deal with the
formalities yourself.
Some
administrative papers you will need to
take with you:
- copy of your passport
- medical certificate
- police record
- birth certificate
Looking
for a job in South Africa:
You could start looking for information by
sending letters to French associations in
South Africa, to Trade Commissions and to
commercial services in French banks which
have branches in South Africa.
The French Consulate has a service dealing
with jobs and training and can introduce
you to local companies wishing to acquire
French personnel.
(See
also the page in the Practical Guide for
the Expatriate).
The French Chamber of Commerce can give
you information about the job market and
the most dynamic sectors of the local
economy. They also publish a bulletin
which is reserved for French companies and
local members. You could put a job ad in
this bulletin.
The
Trade Commission in Johannesburg or the
CFCE in Paris can give you a list of
French companies set up in South Africa.
The South African Embassy has also plenty
of documentation about their
country.
While
you are looking for information you can
contact companies directly by sending an
application and proposing your
services.
Where
to look for job offers? :
In the French press (Le Monde, Le France
Soir, Figaro, Moniteur du Batiment, Expat
Magazine..) for French companies sending
people overseas.
In the local press (The Star, a daily
paper, 200,000 copies, Johannesburg, The
Sunday Times, a weekly,
500,000 copies, Johannesburg.)
The
job market and unemployment :
There is a very high level of
unemployment, nearly 40%, but most of
these are unqualified workers.
There are a lot of openings in the market
for specialists, but salaries are not very
high.
South Africa has no social security system
corresponding to the French one. You have
to take out a good covering insurance to
be able to get reimbursed for any medical
expenses.
Working hours are similar to those in
Europe - they tend to start a bit earlier
and finish earlier. A working day is
usually 8 hours.
Recruiting
sectors :
Developing sectors are building,
engineering, medical and social, teaching,
water and environment, tourism and leisure
activities and
telecommunications.
Some
advice :
Don' t forget before leaving France to get
an copies of your diplomas which will be
recognized and accepted in South
Africa.
Your CV must be very clearly set out,
highly detailled and accompanied by a
handwritten covering letter.
All these documents must be written in
English.
Whatever post you are applying for, be
well dressed for the interview.
Interviewers pay a lot of attention to
your appearance.
Be
careful not to seem to be pretentious
about your knowledge and don't exaggerate
your professional competence. The South
African system of recruitment is based on
the British one and their professional
competence and their methods are well
tried and tested.
Don't forget that the local market has a
high rate of unemployment, be careful not
to throw away an opportunity once you have
already got as far as getting an
interview.
Stress your real competence, your ease of
adaption, your mobility, your ability to
work in a team and your desire to bring in
your experience.
Employment:
In spite of the high rate of unemployment
and an economy which is not doing very
well there are quite a few possibilities
for expatriation due to investment and
foreign capital, private initiatives and
big international projects. Big French
groups are more and more present on the
market, in tendering, partnerships and
setting up companies e.g. Danone,
Bouygues, ETPM, Lafarge, Degrémont,
etc.
You will have a better chance of finding a
job before you go as it's not easy to find
one locally.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
Paris can help and advise you if you are
thinking of starting up a company in South
Africa.
Collaboration
between foreigners and South Africans can
take various forms :
-partnerships
-joint ventures (a foreign company must
open a subsidiary in the country to form
an association)
-for industrial production it is possible
to sell a manufacturing licence to a
partner already installed in the
country
-it is also possible to simply set
yourself up as an external company. In
this case you have to register the company
and deposit a copy of its statutes with
the authorities
Investing
in the country :
There are several good reasons to invest
in South Africa :
-it is a democracy with a stable
government
-the free trade between SA and the rest of
southern Africa (SADC)
-the market needs, particularly due to
droughts
-its natural resources and its strategic
position
-the possibilities and opportunities that
exist in SA
Since 1994 more than 70% of South Africa's
industrial products are exported to Europe
without any customs duties.
Most of the French enterprises have
invested in the province around
Johannesburg.
What
kind of sectors offer opportunities
:
- the manufacturing sector : plastics,
paper, leather, wood, equipment, spare
parts ...
- agriculture, energy, tourism
There are numerous fiscal advantages which
can help you to offset your installation
costs.
Since
1984 the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
in Paris has been working with its
homologue in Johannesburg. The Joint
Management Developement Programme has
trained 360 executives since 1985 with the
aid of 3 South African partners : the
Urban Foundation, NAFCOC (the Federation
of Black Chambers of Commerce) and the
Black Management Forum.
French
Presence in South Africa :
There are about 7,500 French people in SA,
5500 of whom are registered with the
Embassy (about 4,000 in Johannesburg and
500 in Cape Town).
French companies only started to arrive in
any numbers on the SA market as from 1994.
It is hoped that from SA commercial
contacts can be taken with over 33 other
countries.
The
short term risk for investors in the
country is low and in the medium term SA
is considered to be a good risk
country.
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