To emigrate or not to emigrate?
Dare to Daydream... or not!
To Pub or Not to Pub?
To Deny or Not to Deny Disability
Pub Culture – To be or not to be?
Investment for Dummies : To be or not to be
I used to remember hordes of people emigrating roundabout 1994. England, Australia and New Zealand were on everyone’s lips. People were scared… of affirmative action, of what will happen with the new government, especially in the areas of public health, education, the economy etc. In hindsight, the people who stayed didn’t have such a raw deal after all, and you survived, without being too much worse off. In fact, many studies show that whites are wealthier now than in 1994. I’m not sure how accurate this is, but that’s what they say…
A few years ago a campaign called Homecoming Revolution, sponsored by FNB, was born, urging expats to return to South Africa. They focus on the opportunities here, the diversity, our heritage, the friendliness, the beautiful scenery… you name something positive about SA and they’ve got it. The site also offers support on settling in once you’ve returned to the country.
However in recent months we have seen the return of the ‘brain drain’. You hear of skilled people leaving the country left right and center. Things that are just getting people down are Eskom’s power crisis, the crime, the difficult economic period we’re in right now, what’s happening in Zimbabwe and the ANC’s reaction towards it… the list goes on. On the government’s page concerning emigration it states that ‘The exodus of skills from the country – described as a 'brain drain' - has caused concern for some. Emigrants include IT professionals, doctors and dentists, scientists, nurses and teachers. For example, almost 17 000 science and technology professions (about 1% of the total science and technology workforce), left the country between 1994 and 2001.’ and ‘The downfall of the 'brain drain' is a shortage of skilled labour at home. A recent report suggests that the country does not have enough engineers to fulfill its infrastructure development ambitions over the coming years. ‘This prophecy was clearly fulfilled with the Eskom crisis. And I’m sure the numbers weren’t much better for 2002 to 2008, as the conditions in the country didn’t exactly improve.
So what is the way to go? Do you continue being optimistic and face the challenges head on, or do you pack up and leave. I can’t really say it’s the easy way out, because I’m sure it isn’t. Everyone I know (including the people emigrating) loves this country, where they were born, and it’s usually the only home they know. I personally would hate to ever have to leave the country, except for traveling, and a lot of other young people feel the same way. Are we still naïve, or just more adaptive towards change?
