Thinking of going back to South Africa and climbing the career ladder at home? Then recruiters in the Republic have one simple piece of advice – be realistic. You are not likely to find the same job for exactly the same pay back home, but your general lifestyle is likely to improve.

Some good news

Theo Smit, a recruiter at Premier Personnel in Johannesburg, says another piece of good news for those planning a return to South Africa is that expenses, especially housing and child care, are much less than in the UK. Add to this an ongoing skills shortage, especially in the engineering sector, and the outlook in SA is decidedly sunny, according to recruitment company Executives Online.

Calls to “come home”

It’s not just recruiters who want to attract South Africans currently living abroad. Political leaders, including ANC president Jacob Zuma, have repeatedly called on expat South Africans to return home. ANC Treasurer-General Matthews Phosa acknowledged the government has made “serious” mistakes with the implementation of public service deployment and black economic empowerment. Phosa added that in the public service, these mistakes triggered a brain drain that has impaired delivery.

This view has been underlined by the fact that, in an unusual move, SA Police recently embarked on a recruitment drive looking for white recruits, along with Indians and those from the coloured community. Observers say that, while it hasn’t always been the case, there now appears to be a drive by government to reverse the brain drain.