Is it brain drain or brain exchange?

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LancelotSA

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Is it brain drain or brain exchange?

May 09 2008 at 06:40AM

By Bronwyn Gerretsen

South Africa's brain drain is not the crisis it is made out to be.

Although many South Africans are leaving the country for perceived greener pastures, and taking with them much-needed skills, a percentage of them are returning, often with increased skills to contribute to the economy.

Also, skilled foreigners and their families are emigrating to South Africa.

This is according to several emigration specialists who admit that, while there are many skilled South Africans leaving, people neglect to ask how many of those people are returning to the country.

Leon Isaacson, managing director of Global Migration SA, said 80 percent of the company's work was in bringing people into the country from other parts of the world.

These included engineers, science professionals and teachers. About 10 percent to 15 percent of his clients head for the United Kingdom on family visas, skilled employment visas or working holiday visas.

"The people who leave do so for a number of reasons. Some are uncertain about the country's political issues, there are economic concerns, concerns about crime and their children's futures... Often there are also family ties to the UK," he said.

Isaacson said those leaving the country included medical personnel, teachers and people trained in the sciences or engineering.

He added, however, that many people simply regarded working experience in London as vital to their careers and worked there for a few years before returning.

"When people leave, often they come back, some of them after three to five years' international work experience. They then add their skills to the economy," he said.

Global Migration brings 60 to 100 skilled people to South Africa every month and "sends out" 15 to 30 South Africans to other countries. Of this amount, Isaacson said, 30 percent to 40 percent eventually returned.

He added that there was a shortage of skills worldwide and that South Africa was not the only country grappling with the issue.

Jandy Godfrey, director of Premium Placements, a recruitment company in Canberra, Australia, said South Africans were among her biggest clients and were sought after by employers in Australia because they were qualified, highly skilled and English-speaking.

Brain exchange

She said she preferred to think of the "brain drain" as a "brain exchange".

"I like to see people growing as world citizens. People are more mobile and prepared to live and work in other countries," she said.

Canberra, a city experiencing an economic boom, was in desperate need of professionals, tradesmen, civil engineers, accountants and "all kinds of people on construction sites".

Erik van Zyl, owner of Visa One, which specialises in immigration to South Africa, said there was no doubt that people were leaving the country and taking with them vital skills, but a percentage returned, sometimes with foreign partners and new families.
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"30 percent to 40 percent eventually returned."

Huh?
I remember another article saying 1% return
 
marine1 said:
Yeah sure how do those people contribute to the economy if they cannot get employment due to BEE and AA?
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Many of them are in the type of industries where BEE and AA are not a problem in SA. Like IT for instance. I am returning to SA after many years abroad. So I fully agree with the article.

If you have a problem with BEE / AA, maybe you should consider changing career industry?
 
This is just one firm, not exactly representative. Either way its still a massive loss for SA, if these people hadn't left you might've had people with skills coming in anyway, maybe even more as the economy would be better off with more skilled people.
 
Skinner said:
Many of them are in the type of industries where BEE and AA are not a problem in SA. Like IT for instance. I am returning to SA after many years abroad. So I fully agree with the article.

If you have a problem with BEE / AA, maybe you should consider changing career industry?
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Either way its a racist policy that should be repealed. I doubt there's a single industry that's not affected by it at all.
 
Pixie22 said:
"30 percent to 40 percent eventually returned."

Huh?
I remember another article saying 1% return
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Yes, interesting how different sources say different things isn't it?

Skinner said:
Many of them are in the type of industries where BEE and AA are not a problem in SA. Like IT for instance. I am returning to SA after many years abroad. So I fully agree with the article.

If you have a problem with BEE / AA, maybe you should consider changing career industry?
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I agree with you. I know of many friends (and myself included) who have done between 2 and 7 years in the UK and other countries before eventually returning to this country. One girl was just short of being able to apply for her residency based on her ancestral visa and called it quits as she had had enough and wanted to come home. She is now happily married here and going nowhere.

Syndyre said:
This is just one firm, not exactly representative. Either way its still a massive loss for SA, if these people hadn't left you might've had people with skills coming in anyway, maybe even more as the economy would be better off with more skilled people.
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Well actually the representatives of three companies say things in that article but I understand this would still not be a fair representation for most people as it is not saying what they hope it would. You seem to be missing the point that the article is trying to make about a lot of people travelling and then coming back with further skills that they may not have been able to acquire within SA.

Also your argument of having more skilled people in the country if the locals did not leave does not really hold as there are only limited jobs, so the locals leaving is what created that opportunity for the skilled foreigner. A lot of people seem to have the impression that South Africa will "drown" if the skilled workers leave but at the end of the day skilled people globally are always looking for work...
 
marine1 said:
My good friend works at IBM and would disagree with you 100%, maybe come here and see for yourself before assuming.....
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Syndyre said:
Either way its a racist policy that should be repealed. I doubt there's a single industry that's not affected by it at all.
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Moederloos said:
Yeah right.
I have been told by 3 major institutions this month alone that a white male need not bother apply.
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Maybe it has more to do with the people involved as it seems funny that a number of WHITE foreigners, and locals returning to this country, are able to find jobs....
 
LancelotSA said:
Well actually the representatives of three companies say things in that article but I understand this would still not be a fair representation for most people as it is not saying what they hope it would. You seem to be missing the point that the article is trying to make about a lot of people travelling and then coming back with further skills that they may not have been able to acquire within SA.

Also your argument of having more skilled people in the country if the locals did not leave does not really hold as there are only limited jobs, so the locals leaving is what created that opportunity for the skilled foreigner. A lot of people seem to have the impression that South Africa will "drown" if the skilled workers leave but at the end of the day skilled people globally are always looking for work...
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Its not a matter of it not saying "what they hope it would". It just goes against almost every other survey done and is based on very flimsy evidence which makes many people, including me, rather sceptical and justifiably so. It does hold in some scenarios, Australia for instance is experiencing a massive skills shortage and they haven't had a mass exodus of skills. The presence of skilled people, along with other factors, would stimulate the economy and create jobs for more skilled and unskilled people. People are always looking for work but when there's competition for those skills then SA is very likely to lose out to the US/UK/Canada/Aus etc. or else be forced to pay a premium to attract those skills.
 
Syndyre said:
Its not a matter of it not saying "what they hope it would". It just goes against almost every other survey done and is based on very flimsy evidence which makes many people, including me, rather sceptical and justifiably so. It does hold in some scenarios, Australia for instance is experiencing a massive skills shortage and they haven't had a mass exodus of skills. The presence of skilled people, along with other factors, would stimulate the economy and create jobs for more skilled and unskilled people. People are always looking for work but when there's competition for those skills then SA is very likely to lose out to the US/UK/Canada/Aus etc. or else be forced to pay a premium to attract those skills.
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Why? Because you feel the way you do about this country?

I know of many Europeans who currently reside and work in this country and are doing so out of choice. They love the lifestyle, the country and the people. Just because you feel a certain way does not mean everyone does. That is the point of this article..... you may leave, others will take your place.
 
LancelotSA said:
Why? Because you feel the way you do about this country?

I know of many Europeans who currently reside and work in this country and are doing so out of choice. They love the lifestyle, the country and the people. Just because you feel a certain way does not mean everyone does. That is the point of this article..... you may leave, others will take your place.
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Why? Look at the emigration stats, you can be sure there are far more skilled people trying to get into those countries than SA. Zim refugees climbing through the fence don't count. :D:D
 
LancelotSA said:
Also your argument of having more skilled people in the country if the locals did not leave does not really hold as there are only limited jobs
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I suppose, unless of course the goal is growth rather than stagnation.
 
The one issue I see with this is that the majority who are leaving do so shortly after school or degree graduation. Upon their arrival within the UK for instance, they find themselves working within industries that are completely irrelevant to their studies or ambitions because they either lack in confidence or are motivated by money. I know of quite a few graduates who currently work in UK as bartenders, construction workers, tube maintenance personell etc. This isnt much of a skill increase now is it?

In fact it is not just youngsters doing this, I know of many families who have moved over and changed profession. Upon their return, what exactly are they going to bring back with them? A worldly experience is not as beneficial as actual work experience. Of course this is merely my experience having been over in the UK for some years and returning to SA (by choice - for LancelotSA)...
 
It's amazing how basically every industry in SA, the government themselves have admitted to the MASSIVE SKILLS shortage from medical personnel to teachers, engineers etc.

1 million whites have left since 1994 (obviously a bit more considering some people don't tell the government)...there's no way on God's green earth that even half have come back.
 
Looking at my friends: 3 engineering graduates, 2 business science graduates, 1 ICU nursing graduate, 3 medical graduates, all happily settled in the UK, Australia and USA and none are thinking of going back. All earning 4-5 times what I am earning doing less work :( too.
 
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