Expats living in the UK have been\u00a0encouraged to come back to South Africa\u00a0in-spite\u00a0of the\u00a0country’s\u00a0crime and corruption, poverty, unemployment, e-tolls, load-shedding and potholes.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Homecoming Revolution event at the London Expo 2014, several South Africans urged delegates \u201cto come back where they belong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lead SA activist and head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee, told visitors at the Olympia Conference Centre in Kensington, London, that South Africa needed their \u201cskill and expertise\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the country was plagued by various problems including crime and corruption, poverty, unemployment, etolls, load-shedding and potholes.\u00a0\u201c\u2026and let\u2019s not forget Nkandla,\u201d\u00a0Abramjee said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite all of these problems, we need you and you can make a difference. We need to all join hands and build a better country,\u201d Abramjee said. \u201cJoin us and become active citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abramjee said crime \u201cremained a problem. I am also even not immune to it. In November last year, my family and I were robbed at our home in Pretoria.”<\/p>\n
\u201cI could have simply given up. I could have put my head in the sand. But, it made me more adamant to fight the crime scourge. We have to all work together and make South Africa a better place,\u201d Abramjee said.<\/p>\n
Abramjee said South Africa \u201cis not only about Oscar Pistorius and Dewani\u2026Yes, these stories are making world headlines. But, there is also much good happening back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need you and we need you now. We urge you also to vote on May 7- where ever you are,” the activist said.<\/p>\n
He said \u201cit\u2019s not about whether you wear a yellow of blue t-shirt of sport a red beret. It\u2019s about our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are celebrating 20 years of freedom. We have achieved much but a lot of work still lies ahead\u2026We need you. It takes one committed citizen to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founder and CEO of Homecoming Revolution, Angel Jones, said hundreds of South Africans were coming home and this \u201cis very encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones said \u201cthere are many good stories to share.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Nick Binedell of the Gordon Institute of Business, GIBBS, said South Africans could contribute to a better country and continent if they returned. \u201cThe continent has lots to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
In May last year, Rhodes University conducted a comprehensive online survey of its alumni, and\u00a0found that\u00a072% of Old Rhodian expats living in more than 20 overseas countries believe their skills and knowledge would be useful and valuable to South Africa, and 48% say they would be interested in learning more about incentives to relocate back to South Africa.<\/p>\n
The study included 957 participants from 22 countries, with some 40% (387) residing abroad.<\/p>\n
In January,\u00a0Adcorp’s Employment Index showed that, since the global financial crisis in 2008, close to 360,000 high-skill South Africans have returned to the country from foreign work assignments.<\/p>\n
South African expats eager to come back: study<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n