A Queenstown-based education agent says Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) has strong attributes that are appealing to Latin American (LATAM) students considering studying in New Zealand.
Education Agent Jihane Sato visited SIT Invercargill campus on 29th August to be updated on what SIT is offering international students in 2026 and to shoot promotional material for online marketing campaigns.
Recruiting students from the LATAM market, mainly Brazil, but also Chile and Argentina, Ms Sato had sent around 10 students to SIT prior to Covid; now she plans to rebuild the partnership with SIT and grow LATAM numbers in the south.
Describing herself as someone “who’s walked the walk and can talk the talk”, Ms Sato came to New Zealand in 2017 to study English at the SIT-owned Southern Lakes English College in Queenstown, and she stayed. SIT has some big drawcards for the LATAM market she said. “Comparing Invercargill to other places in New Zealand, the cost of living is very reasonable,” and for Brazilians, the exchange rate was “times four”, so coming to New Zealand represented a big financial commitment.
“Invercargill is a really good place to start. They have a lovely community; the Latino community is quite strong.” She added that it was a great city for families. “It’s a good place to start kids at school. There are good schools here.” Knowing these details in advance is significant as when the students come to do their master’s, as “there are a lot of adjustments,” she acknowledged.
From SIT’s suite of master’s qualifications, the Master of Applied Management is most popular with LATAM students. However, it’s the English courses SIT offers they complete prior to commencing their master’s which are essential in setting them up for success. Once these are completed, they can enrol in the master’s programmes, Ms Sato explained.
“At the end of the day, I encourage my students to try SIT,” and she had seen a good success rate from those who had come here. “They now prefer Invercargill,” she revealed, choosing to stay after they completed their qualification. Invercargill’s job market was a plus. “There are very real positive careers to get into in the south, with positions available in different sectors.”
“Bigger cities, such as Christchurch or Auckland, are far more high profile, but they don’t equate to better quality of life. They can have a very rewarding experience here.”
In 2020, Marcia Xavier Esteves De Almeida had planned to sharpen her English skills for six months in Queenstown, but when lockdown came it prolonged her time in New Zealand. “I decided to do further study,” she says and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Management. Then life took a different turn. “Halfway through my course I met my husband,” who is a Southlander. Now settled in Southland, Ms De Almeida, who is a Marketing Manager in a plant nursery, appreciates the lifestyle she has in a small city, even if she’s not always a fan of the weather. “It’s safe, it’s good for jobs and a career… it’s quieter and easy to travel everywhere, usually just 10 minutes, and that’s nice.”
Tiago Feitoza and his wife came to New Zealand in 2022 to study at SIT. With an engineering background, Mr Feitoza studied a Master of Applied Management (MAM) at SIT because he wanted to progress into management positions within his field, and “it was a clear path towards that goal”. Before completing the MAM, he secured a position as Engineering Production Manager with Southland company, Yunca Group. Responsible for a team of 25, he says the most impactful learning he gained from SIT was how to work in a team with people from different cultures.
Invercargill is now home for the Feitozas; they aren’t planning on changing that anytime soon, in fact, Mr Feitoza’s wife is now at SIT on a study pathway to become a nurse. “When I chose SIT and Invercargill, I got it right the first try … I feel sometimes I was very lucky … with how things have worked out for us…”
SIT International Partnerships Manager, Whitney Irwin, said students from the LATAM region have engaged well with the Southland community and provide a myriad of benefits, across cultural, community, sporting, church organisations and groups, along with providing key skill sets to local employers and the Southland economy. “We were thrilled to host Jihane and look forward to working together to recruit students and their families from the LATAM market.”
She had noted over the last few months the significant growth in onsite visits from SIT’s international recruitment partners across a diverse range of regions and was expecting to see results from this “as we look to substantially build back the student population for 2026”.