South Africa has lost tens of thousands of professionals to countries such as the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, as many of them are leaving in response to the changing face of South African politics and to broaden their work experience in an international environment.
“Last year, about 9 000 Australian in migration visas were issued to South Africans. People leave for many reasons these days and countries have become more open to immigration.
“We are seeing many skilled people relocating to different countries and trying out various areas. You do find that many Australians will relocate to the UK and they are qualified people who posses certain skills. This will create a gap in the Australian market for skilled workers and many South Africans are willing to fill those gaps,” says Global Visas head of sales Daniel Anvari-Brown.
He notes that skilled people, mostly aged between 25 and 45, are moving, but it has become more popular among younger couples to consider relocating to various countries.
“Australia and Canada are two of the most popular countries for South Africans –there are cur- rently about 500 000 South Africans in Western Australia. Throughout the years, immigration has been pretty even – no major increase or decrease in numbers. Australia has been busier than most of the other countries, as there is more opportunities for skilled people considering a move abroad,” he says.