On HN please assume a charitable interpretation. America is short on good mechanics. This is about qualified South African labor imported because Americans are underqualified, not the other way around.
America has an annual shortage of around 39,000 techs...
>That's an underhanded comment or do you assume Africa can't produce any technical skills?
Lighten up a bit, eh? The parent didn't say anything negative about South Africa, rather he plainly wondered about the labor market for these skills and why it was necessary to bring talent from another country. It is an interesting and valid question that seems to imply a lack of homegrown US skills.
Personally I wondered if the make of tractor was South African and thus the likely source of trained technicians, but that's not the case here. Which leads us back to the root question - why SA? Good trade schools? Organizations that are helping people find apprenticeships around the world? Familial connections on the part of the subject of the article?
If I had to posit a theory it would be that increasing farm sizes came to North America first, and so a full generation+ of American "farm boys" are long gone to the city. In South Africa I believe the trend came later so now there are a lot of said "farm boys" with some experience but no farm to work on anymore, looking for work.
That's an underhanded comment or do you assume Africa can't produce any technical skills?
Agriculture and agri-machinery is big business in SA which is similar to AUS who have generational farmers aplenty and new entrants alike.