Will South African expats ever go back home?

Question

South Africa plans new measures to lure its overseas academics and skilled workers back home as the country seeks to tackle a skills gap that threatens economic development. What are these new measures? And will expats ever return? Please give me your thoughts on this recent article http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-25_2068609

Answer 1

Of course there will be some expats who return to SA, the vast majority however will continue to live happily in their adopted countries.
The decision to emigrate was not a lightly taken one and would have been given a great deal of thought. These "new measures" that have been planned to lure them back will fail dismally.

Any rational person can see that the SA situation is getting worse. More people are being affected by crime, more people are becoming poverty-stricken and the government's apathy is astounding to say the least. Just recently Government Minister Lekota blasted those that have emigrated as "unpatriotic". I would not call putting the safety of your family as a priority unpatriotic.

Furthermore, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, who last year advised crime "whingers" to leave the country blamed violent crime on "moral decay and social inequalities created by apartheid". This smacks of not taking responsibility. Every failure by government is always "clearly a legacy of apartheid". With this kind of attitude, SA is doomed to fail. If fingers are to be pointed, then they should be pointed at a lack of action in the last 13 years.
And now government wants those people that have been chased away to return? What an absolute joke.

Answer 2

If you consider the Homecoming Revolution as initiated by FNB and which has been a resounding failure then there must be doubts. Some will try because quite naturally they love their Country but if they have lived in say the West for a few years they will quickly become disillusioned when they experience the incompetence,corruption and failures of the ANC.Take the example of Carlos Alberto Parreira as an example of the ineptitude. Brad raises crime which is just one of many issues and people get quite used to not living in Fortresses for fear of their lives or being able to just walk the streets at night. Another talks of a Medical Practitioner returning and I would suggest he researches the conditions at Public Hospitals etc before he/she does so. There is an immediate need in South Africa as regards 2010 but maybe some will see it as a short term contract to make money and depart thereafter.
Holidaying is one thing but if you have a family then living there becomes a different reality.

Answer 3

We're on our way home in April. My girlfriends a teacher, I'm an accountant, a friend of ours heading back in March is a doctor, another a contruction project manager, then there's a friend heading back in July, a medical specialist. And I don't know many people over here, but it seems as though lots are indeed coming back. It was an experience over in the UK, but South Africa offers real quality life, opportunities to do good and to leave something for future generations - and I'm not going to miss out on that.

Answer 4

i am south african had girl in uk, so no choice but to register her as south african.... children can always change to where ever they want to live!

Answer 5

I hope so! Hey, all us expats can make a group and arrive back in SA together! haha=)
I hope I'll be back there soon!

Answer 6

YES. Lure or no lure, I'm coming back. I'm an African - it's home.

Answer 7

I hope you come back porgie. How long have you been in Korea?

Answer 8

To what? Affirmative Action, BEE, criminals raping women and children?
Keep it.