Why South Africa’s brain drain has been Queensland’s - TopicsExpress

Why South Africa’s brain drain has been Queensland’s gain Over the past five years I’ve witnessed a growing number of South Africans settling in my part of Brisbane. Not only did a lovely South African couple move in next-door, the largest school in the area has a very sizeable contingent of South African students and the local church offers a weekly Afrikaans speaking service. I was intrigued to find out if this was just a coincidence, or part of a larger trend. A quick look at the official data confirms the true extent of the South African influx. It turned-out that my own suburb of Carindale is home to the largest population of South Africans of any suburb in Brisbane, and the second largest in the State. True, the numbers are still relatively small, but they are an increasingly noticeable and important part of the local community. Interestingly, it’s not just the Brisbane suburb of Carindale that has seen the arrival of record numbers of South Africans. The latest Census recorded that more than 35,500 South Africans are now living in Queensland – second only to New South Wales, slightly ahead of Western Australia and well ahead of Victoria. Furthermore, over the five years from 2006 to 2011, South Africans were the second largest migrant group arriving in Queensland after the United Kingdom. In fact, during this five-year period the number of South Africans settling in Queensland was almost 14 per cent higher than the number of migrants arriving here from China. Considering that high-profile destinations such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai and even other major Australian cities are a shorter plane flight, the fact that South Africans are deliberately choosing Queensland is a big deal. They are clearly attracted by the exciting economic opportunities and the world-beating lifestyle our State has to offer. The State Government’s new tagline ‘Great State, Great Opportunity’ would no doubt strike a chord with these new arrivals. So who are these South African settlers? The short answer is they are the type of immigrants that Queensland needs. According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, recent South African arrivals include ‘farmers, entrepreneurs and people with technological and engineering skills.’ More than 70 per cent of South African-born Australians have higher non-school educational qualifications, such as degrees, diplomas and certificates. This compares to the Australian average of 56 per cent and the Queensland average of around 43 per cent. Of the South African-born settlers in the workforce, 63 per cent are employed in either a skilled managerial, professional or trade occupations. These people are some of the best and the brightest their country has produced, and South Africa’s loss is our gain. Like so many other waves of immigrants before them, South Africans are ‘lifters not leaners’; they start businesses, create jobs, pay taxes and contribute another layer to our rich social fabric. They are good for Queensland and good for Australia. If there is any doubt about their capacity to contribute, consider that the ranks of well-know South African Australians include; best selling author, the late Bryce Courtenay, fashion designer Collette Dinnigan, businessman David Gonski, logie award-winning actor Tammin Sursok, Westpac CEO, Gail Kelly, nobel prize–winning author John Maxwell “J. M.” Coetzee and former BHP Billiton CEO Marius Kloppers. The story of Queensland progress is very much the story of immigrants coming here to build a better life. We rightly celebrate the contribution generations of Italian, Greek, German, Chinese, Vietnamese and New Zealand settlers have made to our great State. I have no doubt South Africans are quietly, but diligently earning an important place among the ranks of the many migrant groups that help to make Queensland such a terrific place.