East and Southern African countries have become popular options for highly skilled expat job seekers as shifting perceptions prompt an increasing number of professionals to opt for places closer to home rather than “pack for Perth”. Alistair Dickie, country manager for Precision Recruitment International (PRI) in South Africa, says that apart from the practicality and proximity involved in choosing to relocate on the same continent, the familiarity of Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, as well as their neighbours further afield, holds additional allure over and above geographical appeal. And although prospective emigrants are still favouring countries like Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, pan-African migration is fast catching on. According to the human resources specialist, persuading local leavers that it isn’t necessary to look abroad to find better opportunities “is a conversation we’re having every day because we’re able to leverage our established offices in Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to unlock career opportunities across Africa”. “We get asked frequently about opportunities in the Middle East, but on unpacking a candidate’s motivations, they soon realise that the Middle East may not tick as many boxes as initially thought. “Options in the rest of Africa offer lifestyle upsides such as weather, bush breaks and proximity to South Africa, as well as career advantages of living and working in a growing economy.” Dickie adds, though, that he understands why South Africans with itchy feet will automatically consider leaving Africa altogether. “The developed world ticks serious boxes such as safety and the ready availability of utilities, and a lot of people still have their eyes closed to the opportunity of making a different life somewhere else on the continent. “However, many of the African countries we serve tick the same boxes as certain developed countries, such as safety – which, in most African countries, is significantly better than South Africa and often misconceived. In many instances, they actually tick boxes that some European countries don’t.” As for the popularity of East African countries, Dickie explains that it boils down to many of these countries, such as Uganda and Kenya, “being a soft landing for expats looking for Anglophone familiarity”. “Francophone West Africa, we find, is generally a much tougher environment to settle in. As for Lusophone countries like Angola and Mozambique, as long as you have the determination to stick it out, it should work in your favour in the end.” Moreover, Dickie says, many of the countries that approach PRI for placements are much better suited from a risk-taking point of view. “If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, you limit your opportunities in certain developed countries and markets. Developing countries in Africa are looking for people to get stuck in and grow businesses aggressively, and the opportunity to create real wealth is likely much easier than, say, in Australia, where you’ll come up against well-established businesses.” It’s the reason, he believes, that many expats in places like Perth “probably feel they’re missing out, because at the time they decided to leave, they weren’t considering opportunities elsewhere in Africa”. Thankfully, the message that a number of fastemerging markets in Africa would often prefer to have a South African in a senior role than to have someone from Europe or the United States, is fast stemming the tide of émigrés heading Down Under. Dickie’s colleague at PRI, recruitment consultant Tell Palmer, adds: “As much as South Africans are considering a move abroad, we have also seen a strong adoption of South African talent in other African countries.” According to Palmer, word has also spread that “many of our qualified artisans and professionals are highly regarded elsewhere on the continent”. Such has been the call on PRI to help source top-notch individuals for top-shelf placement, Dickie says, that 80% of the agency’s revenue comes from business outside of South Africa. “The skills set that we have in South Africa is very strong from a marketable perspective.” He adds that the current challenges facing key players in the construction sector, along with the demobilisation of massive infrastructure-build contracts like the Medupi and Kusile power station projects, have contributed significantly to skilled resources becoming available. “We suddenly had tens of thousands of highly trained artisans on the market.” Of course, it means that demand on the job-seeking side has gone through the roof and PRI, in addition to its established offices, and with clients in more than 15 other countries in Africa, is planning to expand into Angola via its office in Mozambique. “A lot of recruitment agencies pull out of African countries when the times are tough, but we have found that staying power pays off by having a bootson-the-ground presence even through trying times,” says Dickie. Citing Mozambique as an example, he says that it “can be a difficult country to operate in, and we have found that business is very relationship-based. Clients will expect eight to 10 meetings with you before they’re ready to talk about business. Our persistence in presence is paying dividends now that the oil and gas sector projects are accelerating.”
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We have found that staying power pays off by having a boots-on-the-ground presence even through trying times. – Alistair Dickie