General working visa (South Africa)

It is illegal to work without a permit or to employ someone but it can take upwards of a year to obtain a work permit . One friend is now waiting for about 19 months . Some companies will however overlook this if you have applied and are waiting. Even if they do tax and bank accounts pose a further problem you will need to navigate.

Thanks for replying Lorna.SA. This seems like a crazy way of doing things? You need a job offer to apply for a general work permit but if they can take upwards of a year to process and you are not allowed by law to work during this time, surely the company who offered the job will hire somebody else? How does anybody get a general work permit?