The South African diaspora consists of South African emigrants and their descendants living outside South Africa. The widespread recognition of the diaspora’s role in development has led to an increase in diaspora policy development and programmes attempting to leverage the good will and resources of emigrants.
Southern Africa diaspora populations are growing, as well as the scale of resources available to invest in the countries of origin. However, there has been less focus on diaspora for development in this region compared to others in the continent.
This article examines the South African diaspora, focusing on its composition, popular destinations, reasons for emigration, and potential impact on South Africa.
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Destinations of South African Emigrants
The largest concentrations of South African emigrants are to be found in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the data compiled by Statistics South Africa, between 2006 and 2016 the most popular overseas destinations for South African émigrés were:
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- Australia (26.0%)
- United Kingdom (25.0%)
- United States (13.4%)
- New Zealand (9.5%)
- Germany (6.0%)
- American Samoa (United States territory) (4.4%)
- United Arab Emirates (4.2%)
- Cuba (4.0%)
- Canada (3.0%)
Australia's west coast, especially Perth, has also attracted many South Africans - so much so that the acronym PFP (Packing for Perth) has become a slang term for Afrikaners considering emigration.
Here is a table summarizing the top destinations for South African emigrants:
| Rank | Destination | Percentage (2006-2016) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 26.0% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 25.0% |
| 3 | United States | 13.4% |
| 4 | New Zealand | 9.5% |
| 5 | Germany | 6.0% |
| 6 | American Samoa | 4.4% |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates | 4.2% |
| 8 | Cuba | 4.0% |
| 9 | Canada | 3.0% |
Historical Context and Composition
A number of White South Africans, most of them skilled, left the country in the years preceding and following the 1994 election that represented the end of the Apartheid era. As a result, the diaspora mainly consists of white South African emigrants of British, Jewish (mostly via Latvian, German and Lithuanian ancestry) and to a lesser extent, Afrikaner origin.
A minority of English South Africans have moved to the United Kingdom (often through the UK ancestry visa), due to socioeconomic concerns such as South Africa's high crime rate in the 1990s and early 2000s, a volatile South African Rand, economic mismanagement and changes in the South African economy. Afrikaners and Black South Africans generally have much lower emigration rates than their English South African counterparts.
Statistics South Africa, the country's national statistics agency, estimates that 612,000 white South Africans left the country between 1985 and 2021, with 70% of that exodus taking place since 2001.
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Close to 70,000 white South Africans have registered interest in moving to the US on Trump's resettlement scheme. But it remains to be seen how many will actually leave their homeland. "We are committed to building a future here," the leader of Afrikaner trade union, Solidarity, told Politico.
Reasons Behind Emigration
For those who decide to leave, the "main reasons" include "an ailing economy, chronic unemployment, high crime rates, energy instability, staggering inequality, poor delivery of public services, and political and diplomatic uncertainty", said Afro Barometer.
"Most of the exodus has occurred in the aviation, education, engineering, healthcare, and software and information technology fields". This flight of skilled labour exposes South Africa to a very real skills shortage, and "there seems to be no end in sight".
Potential Impact and Engagement
The diaspora has the potential to make substantial contributions, and the most recognized of these are the remittances they send to the countries of origin, as well as their role in the development of human capital.
This study reviewed existing practices within countries in the Southern African Development Community on diaspora engagement and the productive use of remittances in the region.
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