{"id":813479,"date":"2025-02-25T14:33:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T12:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=813479"},"modified":"2025-02-25T14:33:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T12:33:22","slug":"5-hotspots-skilled-south-africans-are-moving-to-in-the-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/813479\/5-hotspots-skilled-south-africans-are-moving-to-in-the-netherlands\/","title":{"rendered":"5 hotspots skilled South Africans are moving to in the Netherlands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Immigration experts have noted an increase in skilled South Africans looking to move to the Netherlands, and they’re moving to cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest statistics from the Netherlands’ Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek<\/em>, an estimated 41,300 South Africans live in the Netherlands\u2014a large portion of which are highly skilled professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We\u2019ve seen a clear rise in South Africans looking to move to the Netherlands, especially in IT, engineering, and finance,” said Andreas Krensel, an expert in African immigration law at IBN Immigration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krensel noted that this emigration trend from South Africa to the Netherlands is driven by tax incentives, job opportunities and working hours, and the ease of transition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Most Dutch professionals only work around 35 hours a week, often with the flexibility to work remotely,” Krensel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major draw for South African professionals is the abundance of career opportunities in the Netherlands. The country faces a shortage of skilled workers, particularly in technological fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reports highlight that Dutch institutions are not producing enough graduates<\/a> to meet the demands of its growing tech industry, with many students opting for non-technical disciplines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This talent gap has created a high demand for professionals in software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and engineering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, Dutch companies are actively recruiting highly skilled ICT professionals and engineers from abroad, including South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the country\u2019s immigration policies are designed to be welcoming, with relatively straightforward work permits for skilled professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Netherlands actively recruits skilled professionals, and work permits are relatively straightforward,\u201d Krensel said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the transition is easier than in many other countries, thanks to the widespread use of English and a legal framework that simplifies the immigration process.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Expert in African immigration law at IBN Immigration, Andreas Krensel<\/em>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Another significant factor driving this trend is the Dutch government\u2019s tax incentives for highly skilled foreigners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eligible expatriates to receive 30% of their gross salary tax-free. Tax Consulting South Africa confirmed that this is a major draw for professionals in South Africa\u2019s higher tax brackets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese incentives, particularly favourable in sectors like finance and technology, add an extra layer of motivation for South Africans contemplating a move to the Netherlands,\u201d the firm said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from financial advantages, Krensel said the Netherlands offers a really good work-life balance that resonates with many South Africans seeking a more fulfilling lifestyle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost Dutch professionals also only work around 35 hours a week, often with the flexibility to work remotely. Career growth is a big one,\u201d Krensel said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This emphasis on family and leisure time appeals to South Africans looking for a balanced professional and personal life. The opportunity to earn competitive salaries is also a strong incentive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highly sought-after roles include civil and electrical engineers, software engineers, and cybersecurity specialists, with salaries ranging<\/a> from R1 million to R1.6 million per annum (approximately R83,000 to R130,000 per month).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krensel highlighted five cities where South Africans tend to settle. Most relocations are to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These urban centres are particularly popular due to their vibrant job markets and high quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amsterdam, as the capital city, is a hub for international business and finance, attracting many expats with its busy lifestyle and cultural diversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotterdam is known for its booming tech and engineering sectors, while The Hague appeals to a variety of professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utrecht is favoured for its central location and growing tech industry, and Eindhoven is becoming a hotspot for high-tech manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he added that many jobs in the Netherlands offer remote work, so South Africans settle all over the country, even from home in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amsterdam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rotterdam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Hague<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Utrecht<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eindhoven<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Immigration experts have noted an increase in skilled South Africans looking to move to the Netherlands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":787717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[21815,483,853],"class_list":["post-813479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-ibn-immigration","tag-netherlands","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=813479"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":814100,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813479\/revisions\/814100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/787717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=813479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=813479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=813479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}