compared to an average employment growth rate of across all occupations growth rates of high and mediumskilled occupations were relatively high in south africa together with the slight underrepresentation of foreignborn workers among plant and machine operators and agricultural workers the slowest growing and shrinking occupations this pattern suggests that labour immigration is to an important extent demand driven black foreignbom workers are overrepresented compared to their south africanbom counterparts in all the major occupational groups exhibiting growth except among clerks professionals and plant and machine operators