South Africa's farms and factories are experiencing severe labour shortages after more than 160,000 migrants, including many Zimbabweans, left the country following anti-immigration protests and intensified enforcement.

The Zimbabwean government has approved a wage increase for workers in the horticulture sub-sector, with earnings backdated to May 1, 2025, under a new statutory instrument. The adjustment was formalised through Statutory Instrument 48 of 2026, issued in terms of the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01), governing employment conditions across sectors. According to the agreement registered by the National Employment Council for the Agricultural Industry, the minimum wage for horticulture