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Posted by Dave on 11/27/2005, 17:05:14 In spite of the booming South African economy the figure almost doubled between 1999 and 2003 when the last statistics were compiled. The majority of people leaving for foreign countries are engineers, doctors and teachers who cannot find jobs in South Africa. Some business leaders have called on the government to cap affirmative action policies or to exclude young people from such policies. They have warned that qualified people will continue leaving the country if they cannot find employment or if they have no real prospect of making a living in their own country. housands who leave the country don't disclose that they are in fact emigrating Despite renewed confidence in the economy, figures by Statistics SA indicate there was an increase of 90% in the number of emigrants that left the country over a six-year period. It found that that 16 165 people emigrated in 2003 "in search of a better life and opportunities" compared with 8 487 in 1999. The 2003 figure represents a 48.4 percent increase over the 2002 figure of 10 890 emigrants. But even these figures may not tell the true story. Thousands who leave the country don't disclose that they are in fact emigrating. And department of home affairs special adviser Mike Ramagoma has disclosed that the Immigration Act of 2002 did not require that data on South Africans leaving the country permanently, or otherwise, be recorded because of exorbitant costs. "This was deemed a costly exercise and requires vast human and physical resources," he said. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma amended the act last year to make it possible for statistics to be recorded again at SA airports, he added. He said people leaving and coming into South Africa had to present their SA passports irrespective of whether they had dual citizenship, or not. The statistics of self-declared emigrants show that the most popular destinations are Australasia and North America. Stats SA spokesperson Kenneth Manikela said New Zealand and Australia were the most popular countries to which South Africans were emigrating, mainly because of the similar lifestyle and weather patterns. Stats SA figures show 2 523 South Africans emigrated to Australasia in 2002, compared with 3 248 in 2003. A total of 1 430 people left the country for the US and Canada in 2002, compared with 1 998 in 2003. South Africans emigrating to countries in Africa totalled 1 461 in 2002, compared with 2 611 in 2003. Manikela said emigration trends were increasing year after year as people sought better opportunities abroad. "We have very good teachers, accountants, nurses and doctors, and this expertise is being sought by other countries," he said. Manikela said better prospects overseas were not the only reason. "People have certain fears which could prompt them leaving their country of birth, but this is a phenomenon throughout the world," said Manikela. But it's not all bad news for the country, says Homecoming Revolution, an independent organisation which provides assistance and information to expatriates who want to return home. Spokeswoman Megan Wood said 8 000 former South Africans had made inquiries over the past two years about returning home. She believes the number of South Africans leaving the country and those returning are "starting to level out". "Currently for every person leaving the country there is someone heading to South Africa," said Wood. Documented immigrants to South Africa in 2003 totalled 10 578 and rose to 10 714 in 2004, an increase of about 1,2 person. Wood said her organisation was receiving inquiries mainly from South Africans in Britain, Australia and the United Arab Emirates about the possibility of returning home. Wood said many SA expats were unhappy in other countries. "But they can't just pack up because another move back to South Africa could have huge financial implications for them."
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Figures released by Statistics South Africa indicate that there has been a staggering increase in the number of highly qualified citizens that have left the country to find jobs elsewhere.
The government has also been slammed for trying to recruit foreigners for local jobs while thousands of the country's own qualified citizens are available for such positions.
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