A growing number of South Africans moved overseas in 2019 with this trend set to increase in 2020, new data from removals firm Elliott Mobility shows.

The group said that it facilitated 2,500 moves abroad from South Africa in 2019, with a number of countries repeatedly named as common destinations.

These include:

New Zealand;

The United Kingdom;

Australia;

The USA;

Germany;

Switzerland.

When looking at the most common reasons for leaving South Africa, Elliot Mobility said that most South Africans cited poor economic conditions in the country.

This is followed better job opportunities abroad, better education abroad, the impact of load shedding, and South Africa’s high crime rate.

Brain drain

South Africa’s brain drain has gained momentum in recent months as skilled workers continue to leave the country with their families, says Desiré Pauw, head of Human Capital at Momentum Investments.

“An interesting observation at Momentum Investments is that employees (have) listed their termination reason as emigration,” she said.

“In most instances, it was that the partner/spouse that actually was employed abroad. Incidentally, the partners were also highly qualified and skilled.”

Citing recent talks with recruitment agencies, Pauw said that South Africans are leaving the country in ‘big numbers’.

“Employees across sectors and of all demographics emigrate. The main reasons according to their research are corruption and crime-related,” Pauw said.

Read: South Africans are leaving the country in ‘big numbers’ – here’s why that’s not good