By Thabiso Thakali
Large numbers of highly skilled South Africans, including engineers, are considering leaving the country in the wake of Eskom power debacle.
This has been confirmed by a variety of sources, including estate agents, removal companies and emigration consultants.
The people inquiring about quitting South Africa were "split across the race spectrum", and many of them were highly qualified professionals who had a potential to start a new life in another country with ease, according to Eden Joubert, a lawyer with Emigration group.
'We expect this period to pass and the numbers will certainly decrease' The Engineering Council of South Africa (Ecsa) said an estimated 300 qualified engineers were leaving South Africa every year. This estimate was based on the number of engineers who cancel their registration with Ecsa before they emigrate, said Johan Pienaar, the council's manager for registration.
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And Robert Wakeling, a member of 4G consulting, an international technical recruitment agency, said South Africa had a good reputation for having highly skilled and qualified candidates in the engineering sector, who could be recruited at affordable rates. He said 4G had recruited 50 engineers to work overseas last year.
"They include civil, mechanical, marine, and chemical, construction and mining engineers. There were also an additional 14 project managers and safety officers."
Wakeling said demand for engineers from South Africa in the international market had doubled in the past five years. "The challenge for us now is to find these engineers who are sought all over the world. The skills pool in the country is unfortunately getting smaller with time," he said.
The increased number of people contemplating quitting has resulted in a flood of homes and other properties coming on to the market across the country in the past three months, with requests for property evaluations taking off as owners contemplate leaving South Africa, according to estate agents.
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