Fin24 reports that emigration rates from SA surged by about 20% in 2018/2019, which has been described as the start of the next big wave of skilled workers and emigrants leaving for greener pastures.
According to political analyst and author Dr Johann van Rooyen, SA is losing at least 25,000 emigrants per year and about 1,000 high net worth individuals, who are joining the estimated 1.5 million South African expats abroad. He has been tracking SA emigration since the publication of his book The New Great Trek in 2000. He believes the current generation of younger emigrants with in-demand skills wants to be part of the globally mobile workforce trend. Van Rooyen explained: "For this generation, foreign work visas, residence permits, and second passports have become sought-after commodities which can provide the financial and personal security they view as non-negotiable in the current climate. They are joined by tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and retirees, eager to reduce their risk and to become globally mobile." According to Van Rooyen, for many South Africans, the last straw has been persistently high rates of violent crime, political and financial instability, and 18 months of infighting within the ruling ANC.
- Read the full original of the above report compiled by Carin Smith at Fin24
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