SA/CAA ad in Flight International

[Der absolute Hammer]

I saw that the SA CAA advertise for the last two weeks for what seems to be Flight Ops Examiners in Flight International.
They specify ATPL and Grade 11 rating but not SA citizens. Are they now looking for ex patriate examiners? Are there no SA citizens who have these qualifications who want to work for the CAA and if not, why not? What are to be the political implications if they take non SA citizens when there are those who are citizens who have these qualifications who apply for these positions?
Any thoughts there from all the so many South African pilots who might be out of work?

[V1... Ooops]

It is quite normal for governments to advertise positions such as this in international publications. Canada also does so - and so does the UK.

If anything, you should interpret it as a sign of good governance, in the sense that your CAA is being very public about their recruiting process, and will no doubt use the responses they get from different parts of the world to set a 'benchmark' for the candidates that eventually get selected.

Another very real possibility is that the SA CAA is trying to recruit highly skilled South African citizens who may be living and working outside the country right now - and an 'industry standard' journal such as FI is the best possible way to reach these South African expats.

[Der absolute Hammer]

Your first two paragraphs are reasonable enough although I have my doubts that the Canadians in particular would accept a non Canadian unless they absolutely had to do so.
The last paragraph is a response of which, frankly, I had not thought. It bears serious thinking if it is the case. It will, at the end of the day, be very interesting to see whom the SA CAA recruit to fill their post applications. While such recruitment information might not fall into the public domaine, I would expect that those with any dealings with the CAA will know soon enough.

[Goffel]

Salaries for inspectors, R350000.00....(sorry, thats per annum).

[Der absolute Hammer]

Ah...missed you for a while there but happy to read your words.
Sounds like it might suit a part time or contract pilot with the right qualifications so as to reduce their costs---so----we shall see what transpires. But yes, the economics would frighten off all but the most dedicated South African resident over the seas.
Speaking of which, the seas down your end must be getting cold by the beach.

[V1... Ooops]

...I have my doubts that the Canadians in particular would accept a non Canadian unless they absolutely had to do so.

You are generally correct. It is taken for granted (in the case of Canada, anyway) that the applicant will have 'the legal right to work in Canada'. That doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be a citizen, it just means that they need to have the same legal right to work in the country that is required of anyone else, whether they are a bank president or a housekeeper.

I can only assume that the SA government is advertising on the same understanding, that being that the applicants will have the legal right to work in South Africa. That is generally 'taken for granted' in these type of advertisements. We who work in contract aviation in lesser developed countries are used to a very rare and unusual business practice, which is that our employers go to the trouble of getting a work permit for us. That is not the case for the other 99.9% of the people in the world.

For some very highly specialized positions (rocket scientist, brain surgeon, that kind of stuff), governments might be willing to arrange a work permit themselves for the successful applicant, but I doubt that would be the case for an aviation inspector - there are probably lots of adequately qualified candidates who already have the right to work in SA. By advertising in FI, they CAA is doing their best to get the message out to all of them.

Like I said earlier, I would interpret the advertisement in an international publication as a sign of good governance.