🇳🇿 How to get a job in New Zealand as a South African
Jobs in New Zealand for South Africans: accredited employer visas, Green List roles, registration bodies, NZ job boards and CV tips.
Updated 5 October 2026
New Zealand has a large, close-knit South African community, and Kiwi employers are used to hiring Saffas, especially in health, engineering, construction, education and IT. The job market is small compared with Australia's, so it pays to be organised: get your registration moving early, target employers who can sponsor, and write applications the way New Zealanders expect. Here's how to go about finding jobs in New Zealand for South Africans.
Your right to work
South African citizens need a visa to work in New Zealand. South Africa isn't part of New Zealand's working holiday schemes, and South Africans can't use the NZeTA visa waiver either: you need a Visitor Visa even for a holiday or job interviews, and a visitor visa doesn't allow you to work. The main work and residence routes are:
- Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): the main work visa. Your employer must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand and get the job approved before you apply.
- Green List: occupations on the Green List have a "straight to residence" or "work to residence" pathway, once you have a qualifying job offer and any required registration.
- Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: residence for skilled workers. From 24 August 2026 it has separate pathways, including new ones based on skilled work experience and on trades and technician roles, most of which need time working in New Zealand first.
For the full visa picture, partner visas and settling in, see Moving to New Zealand from South Africa.
Jobs in demand for South Africans
The Green List is the best guide to which skills New Zealand is short of. It is reviewed regularly, so check the current list, but it has long included many roles South Africans fill:
- Registered nurses, doctors, midwives and allied health roles: healthcare and nursing jobs in New Zealand
- Secondary and early childhood teachers: teaching jobs
- Civil, structural, electrical and other engineers: engineering jobs
- Electricians, plumbers, builders and other trades: trades and construction jobs
- Software developers and other tech roles: IT jobs
Farming is another big employer of South Africans, especially on dairy farms: see agriculture jobs in New Zealand.
See all jobs in New Zealand, or only the roles offering visa sponsorship in New Zealand. Remote work for overseas companies is another option while you plan your move: see work from home jobs.
Where to look
- SEEK NZ and Trade Me Jobs are the two big local job boards. Use both, as some employers only advertise on one.
- LinkedIn is important for professional and corporate roles, and many NZ recruiters search it for candidates.
- Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) advertises public health jobs on Kiwi Health Jobs.
- Teaching vacancies are listed in the Education Gazette.
- Recruitment agencies are active in health, engineering, construction and IT. Ask whether their client is already an accredited employer.
Before applying, check the employer is accredited, or willing to become accredited. Immigration New Zealand publishes a list of accredited employers on its website.
Getting your qualifications recognised
- Nurses: register with the Nursing Council of New Zealand. Overseas nurses may need to do a competence assessment programme or exam.
- Doctors: register with the Medical Council of New Zealand.
- Teachers: register with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. Most overseas teachers need an NZQA assessment of their qualification first.
- Engineers: Engineering New Zealand handles chartered membership. Accredited South African engineering degrees are recognised under the Washington Accord.
- Accountants: CA ANZ, which has a recognition pathway for CA(SA)s.
- Other qualifications: an NZQA International Qualifications Assessment, often needed for residence.
- Electricians and plumbers: these are regulated trades, so you need registration with the relevant NZ board before you can work unsupervised.
CV and application tips for New Zealand
- Keep your CV to two or three pages, without your photo, ID number, date of birth or marital status.
- Always send a short cover letter tailored to the role. Kiwi employers read them, and a generic one shows.
- New Zealand workplaces value teamwork, a low-key manner and practical problem-solving more than titles. Show what you did rather than how senior you were.
- State your visa situation clearly: "South African citizen, registered with the Nursing Council, eligible for an AEWV with an accredited employer".
- Have two or three referees ready, and expect them to be called. Many employers in New Zealand put real weight on reference checks.
Salary and cost reality
Salaries in New Zealand are usually lower than in Australia for the same job, but generally well above South African levels once converted. Housing is the big cost, particularly in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown, and rental competition can be stiff. KiwiSaver (the retirement scheme) involves contributions from both you and your employer. Check AEWV wage rules on the Immigration New Zealand website, and compare pay with similar adverts on SEEK and Trade Me.
Avoiding scams
- It's illegal in New Zealand for employers to charge workers a premium for a job. Never pay for a job offer or for accreditation.
- Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice, inside or outside the country, must be licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority unless they're exempt (for example a NZ lawyer). Check the register.
- Check the employer is genuinely accredited and that you've had a real interview before you resign at home.