Should I have moved to Ecuador? And other FAQs.
Should you have moved to Malta instead? What is it really like to live and work in Equador? If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live and work around the world you will find the Expat Insider report fascinating.
At 234 pages The InterNations expat report is an utterly fascinating read. For those who have not had a chance to read it, I have picked through it on your behalf and highlighted a few facts and figures that apply to South African expats.
A total of 14,388 expatriates of 170 different nationalities and 195 countries took part in The InterNations online expat survey earlier this year. Over 80% of those who took part in the survey had a tertiary education or skill. The results are in on the 64 countries ranked against different indices.
Only the second ever report of its kind, the 64 destination countries are ranked according to several indices including the Quality of Life Index, Ease of settling in, Family life, Working Abroad, Cost of Living and Personal Finance.
With conceptual feedback, support, and data analysis provided by the independent market research company komma GmbH, the report also looks at employer support among those relocating for work-related reasons, the general situation of expat spouses, typical expat problems, such as culture shock or the language barrier.
The first thing that struck me about the report was the choice. It is obvious that expatriates have options and exercise choice. Unlike refugees and displaced persons, expatriates are by definition, working and living abroad by choice.
The survey identifies ten different types of expats, from the Foreign Assignee and the Traveling Spouse, to the Student in pursuit of an education and the Romantic moving for love, to the Adventurer.
Whichever category they fall into, most expats are university educated, professionals or highly skilled, and are in another country for work or for study. They haven’t been forced out of their country of origin (despite how many feel); they are not discriminated against in their home country because of religion or political opinion or race.
And yet they are still foreigners in a strange land, often feeling separate and displaced in their own way. The report notes in fact that the loss of a personal support network is the one that hit all respondents the hardest. Expats may turn out to be best positioned to understand the plight of refugees and displaced persons that faces us today.
Focusing on South Africans and South Africa in particular, the report highlights the profile of South African expats, where they choose to go, why they choose to leave, and how happy they are when they do leave.
The number of South African expats today is estimated to be around 800 000 although it is difficult to know how many there really are.
The South African Institute of Race Relations estimates the white population shrank by about 840,000, or 16 %, in the decade between 1994 and 2005. Australia’s South African-born population almost doubled over the same time, from 55,755 in the 1996 Census to 104,133 in 2006.
But according to the InterNations report, not everyone is “packing for Perth”. Ecuador, Mexico and Malta were the top 3 destinations for expatriates in the world. New Zealand is 6th, and Australia is only the 10th most popular destination in the world for expats.
Wherever it is they settle 70% of South African expats are generally satisfied with leaving the country, with only 13% feeling dissatisfied with their decision.
Around half of all South African expats are skilled and in management roles. A quarter identify as being in top management positions.
Whereas South African expats seem to do well wherever they settle, across all indices and factors covered in the report, South Africa scores poorly.
Her only high-ranking category is leisure options, where she ranks 8th in the world. Every other factor, from personal happiness, safety, healthcare, quality of education and cost of living, South Africa ranks poorly.
In terms of Quality of Life, Australia was ranked 13th, New Zealand 25th USA 30th, UK 31st and South Africa 42nd out of 64.
In the category of the Best Destination for Families, New Zealand and Australia made the top 10 at 5 and 9 respectively.
South Africa did beat the UK and the USA in this category, coming in at 18th out of 64 as a destination for families, beating the UK at 22nd and the USA at 25th.
Overall though, South Africa was ranked only 49 out of 64 destination countries. New Zealand and Australia again featured in the top 10, at 6 and 10th respectively. The USA was ranked 20th, and the UK 31st.
On South African soil emigration is once again the subject of the day. Professionals in the emigration industry have noted a sharp rise in the number of South Africans interested in moving abroad this year.
Immigration lawyer, Chris Watters, says that inquiries to his practice have gone from approximately one every two weeks to nine or 10 a day since January 2015.
Emigration expert, Marlene Prentice, says that she has experienced a seven-fold increase in the number of South Africans enquiring about immigrating to Australia this year.
Interestingly enough, she noted that aside from some of the more rhetorical reasons for immigrating, more people had cited load shedding as a reason to leave South Africa.
The report is a must read for all globally minded South Africans. Hard cold facts, statistics, research, measurement are all useful things when emotions run high.
For those thinking about leaving South Africa the report offers assessments drawn from reliable data. For expats missing home the report offers statistically sound context and comparison.
In the end The InterNations report for me highlighted that the world is actually a really small place. We live in a global village. Who we are, what we identify with, what makes us unique: we carry those things within us. All of us. The same.
If you’d like to read the report, click here.
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