Skilled workers in South Africa’s richest city looking to emigrate – with one country in mind
South Africa’s richest city, Johannesburg, is facing a technology brain drain as many professionals consider moving to Australia.
STEM skills are highly sought after in South Africa, with many companies looking for IT professionals to join their ranks.
However, South Africa is not unique; these skills are in high demand worldwide, with international companies offering lucrative contracts to South African workers.
Several countries around the world have been seeking South African workers, given their strong English proficiency and world-class education.
Data from New World Immigration showed that among 437 IT, software, data, and cybersecurity professionals, over 70% wanted to emigrate to Australia within the next six months.
Nearly half were between the ages of 25 and 34, which represents a highly mobile group of professionals who are building specialist expertise and moving into more senior roles.
Neil Lund, Managing Director at Paracon by Adcorp, said another downside of the brain drain is that companies not only lose their technical capability, but also industry knowledge.
“They can also lose institutional knowledge, industry context, and the experience required to manage complex systems and support the development of less experienced team members,” said Lund.
Technology roles are already challenging to fill, as the pace of change often outstrips the development of relevant skills.
He added that employers are no longer looking for candidates with broad IT experience, as they need professionals who can apply current, role-specific expertise within complex business environments.
The challenge is particularly acute in areas such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analytics, AI, and software development, where demand is also growing internationally.
How South African companies can keep their talent
“As global employers compete for the same talent, South African organisations may need to reconsider how they plan their technology workforces and respond to emerging skills gaps,” Lund added.
“This positions IT talent resourcing firms as strategic partners that can help organisations identify and access the right skills for the right positions.”
However, he warned that recruitment cannot be treated as a reactive exercise that begins only once a critical position becomes vacant.
Organisations will instead need a clear upfront view of the skills they have and the capabilities they will require.
The emigration facts also highlight the importance of employers investing in the continued development of their technology teams.
Creating opportunities for employees to build new expertise and deepen their knowledge in high-turnover areas can also help employees strengthen their internal talent pipeline.
This can also help reduce their staff turnover and exposure to skills gaps. It can also demonstrate their commitment to supporting their employees’ long-term professional growth.
“This investment should form part of a broader approach to employee engagement and career development,” said Lund.
“Transparent opportunities for progression and access to lifelong learning demonstrate an organisation’s commitment to its employees while also helping the organisation boost its capability and capacity.”
While the technology brain drain is adding urgency to the challenge, he said that the response requires more than simply filling vacancies.
Lund noted that the response requires that employers invest in the people that they have, plan for the skills that they will need, and draw on the specialist expertise to close critical gaps.
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