South Africa's brain drain - A first-hand account of emigration

[Jamie McKane]

South Africa's brain drain - A first-hand account of emigration

South Africa is currently experiencing a massive brain drain, with educated and skilled individuals leaving the country every year to live and work overseas.

The issue is so pervasive that many large companies have started to notice the impact on staff - including Momentum Investments, which said earlier this year that South Africans are leaving the country in "big numbers".

 

[Hamster]

Well I can give you a first hand account that companies and recruiters are the same here and abroad. Here and there you get a decent one but the rest are pretty useless and out for numbers.

But I agree with Ryan* regarding job opportunities although we are in different industries. I'm not ecstatic with the work I'm working on but looking at what else is available in SA - same old nonsense, nothing special.

And salaries are scht. Even at the high end our salaries are crap. Companies let you work on client projects at 2.5x your take home rate and blame tough economic times and COVID when it comes to increases. And you have to sit in rubbish traffic for it.

SA is a great country to live in if you have enough money but it is a shithole to work in.

/rant

 

[netstrider]

Only going to get worse.

Not much collective brain left.

 

[Milano]

SA is not some equal opportunity meritocracy. SA legislation does not pretend it is. If you believe these policies are wrong then SA is just not the place for you. Which means you are living a lie each day you remain in SA. Ryan's* decision was easy - it was already made for him. Plus the benefits of not living in SA are immeasurable.

 

[MrGray]

Thanks to the new remote working environment I know of a few people that emigrated but retained their positions with their companies, even negotiating "cost of living" adjustments for their new environments. I guess, many of those companies were going to be forced to "offshore" work anyway due to the brain drain so it makes just as much sense to "offshore" it while keeping the same staff.

Granted, some of those companies have clients or are actively seeking business in the same offshore markets that those staff have emigrated to which suits them as they are using this as a springboard to secure more business or already have some infrastructure there, but it is a thought provoking nexus of remote work and emigration.

 

[Thor]

If you are skilled (programming, critical thinking, finance, analytical) then best to make the shift overseas. There is nothing here in SA worth investing your time in. Even at the upper pay scale, it's still nowhere close to what half that work (time invested) gets you overseas.

 

[killerbyte]

Already planning my move. Decided the deadline is 2025. I want to give my current employer 5 years because they are a good SA company and treat the staff right. Plus then my daughter will be ready for high school.

But I have already looked... I am looking at a 200% salary increase. At this point I am trying to find which city I want to stay in. Already know how much it will cost to live and I am going to live very comfortably.

 

[sakkie6]

Moving to Europe on paper seems like a no-brainer. The wife and I, both CAs, lived in London from 2009 to 2017. We have our UK passports now, and moved back to South Africa to see if we can possibly get decent jobs over here.

For certain people a place like London will be brilliant. Lots of indoor stuff to keep you busy throughout the year. If you are however accustomed to an outdoor lifestyle and like having a braai with friends most weekends, the UK weather will really make it tough for you.

I am in the same boat as Ryan. While I was lucky enough to keep on working for the UK company for the last three years, that is coming to an end this year. I have applied to quite a number of jobs without even one response back.

Hopefully I find something in the next nine months or so. If not, we might have to leave SA for good. It will be a very sad day if it comes to it, as the lifestyle in SA is definitely a lot better than the UK. The old saying is true. Money doesn't buy you happiness!

 

[RedViking]

Well I can give you a first hand account that companies and recruiters are the same here and abroad. Here and there you get a decent one but the rest are pretty useless and out for numbers.

But I agree with Ryan* regarding job opportunities although we are in different industries. I'm not ecstatic with the work I'm working on but looking at what else is available in SA - same old nonsense, nothing special.

And salaries are scht. Even at the high end our salaries are crap. Companies let you work on client projects at 2.5x your take home rate and blame tough economic times and COVID when it comes to increases. And you have to sit in rubbish traffic for it.

SA is a great *company to live in if you have enough money but it is a shithole to work in.

/rant

*country?

 

[Anthro]

The Company I work for is in 18 different countries, 6000+ employees worldwide - and they are assisting in facilitation of "skilled emigration" away from South Africa, quite a few of my colleagues have taken the opportunity.

 

[hj007]

I always feel a bit insulted when articles say that all the smart people leave/have left

 

[cguy]

Ryan*

This guy’s got some really good pointers.

 

[Binary_Bark]

Another ANC success story. Make everything so **** that the people that can fix it leave

 

[Milano]

Moving to Europe on paper seems like a no-brainer. The wife and I, both CAs, lived in London from 2009 to 2017. We have our UK passports now, and moved back to South Africa to see if we can possibly get decent jobs over here.

For certain people a place like London will be brilliant. Lots of indoor stuff to keep you busy throughout the year. If you are however accustomed to an outdoor lifestyle and like having a braai with friends most weekends, the UK weather will really make it tough for you.

I am in the same boat as Ryan. While I was lucky enough to keep on working for the UK company for the last three years, that is coming to an end this year. I have applied to quite a number of jobs without even one response back.

Hopefully I find something in the next nine months or so. If not, we might have to leave SA for good. It will be a very sad day if it comes to it, as the lifestyle in SA is definitely a lot better than the UK. The old saying is true. Money doesn't buy you happiness!

You spent 8 years there and you have your UK passports now. Aim achieved in getting a passport for a country you don't enjoy. And now you are considering going back for the money. Then you say money doesn't buy happiness? You can stay in SA, have your weekly braai lifestyle, and earn much less money.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Have had more braais here than the last few years back there

Found out this week that 2 friends and a cousin are doing the move, high travel costs and quarantine se moer. Two to Canada and one to UK .... good decision.

 

[sakkie6]

You spent 8 years there and you have your UK passports now. Aim achieved in getting a passport for a country you don't enjoy. And now you are considering going back for the money. Then you say money doesn't buy happiness? You can stay in SA, have your weekly braai lifestyle, and earn much less money.

I never said I didn't enjoy it, I just think that SA is better for the type of lifestyle that I prefer.

As for moving back there, it won't be for the money, but job satisfaction. If I can't find a job on this side that I enjoy, I'll be moaning at my weekend braais about how bad my job is the whole time.

 

[skimread]

In a post Covid world you suddenly have everyone applying for jobs. People are changing careers and spending the year studying new fields that allow working from home. The competition is tough.

If there was so much discrimination against whites in SA then why aren't all the white people on remote freelancing sites?

 

[DailyTech]

ja ja ja. throw a OBS

 

[Milano]

In a post Covid world you suddenly have everyone applying for jobs. People are changing careers and spending the year studying new fields that allow working from home. The competition is tough.

If there was so much discrimination against whites in SA then why aren't all the white people on remote freelancing sites?

What would drive a professional to choose a remote freelancing site over emigration?

 

[Milano]

I never said I didn't enjoy it, I just think that SA is better for the type of lifestyle that I prefer.

As for moving back there, it won't be for the money, but job satisfaction. If I can't find a job on this side that I enjoy, I'll be moaning at my weekend braais about how bad my job is the whole time.

Once you eliminate monetary considerations as one of the criteria for job satisfaction I would have thought that it then becomes very much easier to find a satisfying job.