Voice of critical skilled migrants in South Africa: a case study of Gauteng province

Abstract

This study investigates ways in which South Africa could attract, recruit, retain and integrate critical skilled immigrants into different sectors of the economy to meet its acute shortage of skills needed for growth and development. This study focusses on Gauteng province using a primary qualitative survey. The study finds that South Africa attracts critical skills due to its advanced tertiary level education infrastructure, proximity to the home countries of African skilled migrants, relatively better institutional quality, as well as somewhat better economic outlook and better career prospects at a higher level of skills. On the contrary, high crime levels, social unrest and general anti-foreigner sentiments are factors that make South Africa unattractive to critical skilled migrants. South Africa also needs to transition from a reactive to a proactive policy stance in its immigration policy management for critical skills, improve service delivery and design programmes to properly integrate migrants into South African society. South Africas global competitiveness in the hunt for the best and brightest will be greatly enhanced if its attractive attributes are properly leveraged and deterrent characteristics comprehensively addressed.