South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Buti Manamela, addresses misinformation surrounding the role of foreign academics in the country’s higher education and post-school education sector. In the context of a public debate over foreign staff, Manamela calls for institutions and stakeholders to comply with relevant laws and regulations governing employment and academic appointments. She also argues for strengthening South Africa’s local academic pipeline, emphasizing the need for greater development and support of domestic talent so that universities and other higher education institutions can increase local capacity. The minister’s remarks focus on correcting inaccurate claims circulating in the debate while urging a fact-based approach to how foreign academics are discussed and regulated. Overall, Manamela’s intervention frames the issue as both a compliance and development matter: foreign academics should be managed within legal requirements, and efforts to grow South Africa’s own pool of academics should be prioritized.