Global Courant
Picture: IOL
There has been a high rise in numbers with South African professionals leaving the country or applying to move abroad, causing a tremendous skills shortage.
William Gumede, a professor from Wits gave a warning in June, that South Africa’s skills exodus had become a crisis with professionals of all races, ages, and parts of the country leaving.
He has also emphasized that the country needs people with skills, ideas, and energy to turn the country around and increase economic growth. “When you strip a country of these key people, it seriously undermines it from an economic growth perspective,” he said.
One of the industries that are currently under a lot of strain, is the South African medical fraternity, resulting in understaffed public hospitals. Craig Comrie, the CEO of Profmed, said the substantial exit of medical professionals over the last three to five years created tremendous skills shortages.
Apart from the immediate problems, it also hurts South Africa’s ability to produce quality medical specialists as there are fewer opportunities for specialised training.
Skilled South Africans moving overseas
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