One company recruiting six South Africans per week to go to Ireland

South Africa is experiencing a drain of skilled heavy-duty vehicle operators as truck and bus drivers increasingly relocate to Europe.

One company, Dublin Bus, is recruiting six South Africans per week, and has hired 93 South African bus drivers in total.

This comes amid a labour shortage of qualified drivers across the European Union (EU), with some employers offering visa sponsorships and accommodation to South African drivers. 

A study by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) found 500,000 vacancies across the EU’s road transport sector, driven by an ageing workforce and slow influx of new drivers.

“Considering the growing demand for skilled workers, the EU acknowledges that its domestic workforce alone cannot meet this demand,” the IRU said.

“This has made the managed legal migration of jobseekers from third countries a crucial component in addressing labour shortages.”

The study compared the skill and certificate requirements for heavy vehicle drivers in 23 developing countries with the minimum requirements for professional drivers in the EU.

South Africa was included among the 23 countries in the study, with the IRU flagging it as a potential recruitment destination for European vehicle companies.

According to TimesLIVE, Irish state-owned bus operator Dublin Bus is at the forefront of this recruiting wave, hiring an average of six South Africans per week.

To date, the company has hired 93 South African bus drivers, bringing its total to 4,650 employees from 90 countries, two-thirds of whom are bus drivers.

After relocating, drivers are required to undertake a six-week professional driving training course at Dublin Bus’s training facility.

The influx of South African drivers to Ireland has been facilitated by a licence exchange agreement between the two countries.

Under this agreement, South Africans holding a Code 14 licence may exchange it for an Irish category C or D licence to drive trucks or buses in Ireland, respectively.

The benefits of driving in Ireland

Wayne Martin, a truck driver from Valhalla Park in Cape Town who now resides in Limerick, Ireland, explained to CapeTalk how he came across the job offering.

“I was referred by an ex-colleague of mine who worked with me for a big company in Cape Town,” Martin said. “He’s now spent about three years in Ireland.”

“Wherever he would offload or load, the owners would ask him if he knew any South African drivers willing to come work in Ireland because of the shortage.”

According to Martin, many companies also offer referral bonuses to drivers for referring potential recruits willing to relocate.

He also said that the working conditions for truck drivers in Ireland were safer and more strictly enforced than in South Africa.

By law, truck drivers in Ireland are not allowed to drive for more than 9 hours per day and are required to take a 45-minute break after every 4.5 hours of driving.

Additionally, drivers are only allowed to work every second Saturday in Ireland, with Martin saying the strict rest requirements help prevent accidents caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

Since relocating to Ireland, Martin said he earns in one week what he used to earn in a month while working in Cape Town.

“I was working for one of the biggest fuel companies in Cape Town,” Martin said. “I was there for almost 18 years. The money I received there, I could make it here in one year.”

“If I had stayed at that company, I would have been forced to work till the retirement age of 63. I just regret that I didn’t come here 10 years earlier. I would’ve been retired by now.”