Press Release Summary = Where in the World Are You? A call to Global South Africans to tell us where you are.
Press Release Body = The Development of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Homecoming Revolution (non-profit organization, sponsored by First National Bank, encouraging the skills to come back to South Africa) are undertaking a major survey to try and understand where South Africans are in the world.
This survey will be the biggest research project to date aimed at South Africans living outside of South Africa. The objective is to establish and get a realistic trend of when South Africans left, where they have gone and the reasons they left. It will also give an indication of how committed South Africans are to contributing back to the country, even from a distance. This is in line with the Government's plan of encouraging ex-pat skills to play a part with their country of birth.
Entitled "Where in the World Are You?" the campaign is intending to gather information which will be crucial to building a database of the South African skills. The skills base will form part of the JIPSA initiative.
South Africans are encouraged to invite their friends and family living abroad to complete the survey and to win a chance of flights back to South Africa.
"Much has been said about South Africans abroad. Research has been undertaken on how they feel. We are however hoping that this research will give us a good indication of when people left, why they left and the skills that they have. This is imperative in continuing to build the nation and engaging with South Africans wherever they are. There is much that can be done to assist even without returning as recently indicated by Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, said Martine Schaffer, Managing Director of Homecoming Revolution.
David Viljoen, Manager, Development Information Unit of Development Bank of South Africa said "Skills are a scarce resource, particularly in South Africa. The intention of the AsgiSA Skills Base, is to increase worldwide collaboration, involvement and interest in careers or interventions arising in South Africa that correspond with employment opportunities generated by an economy producing over 500 000 new jobs a year. The chronic shortage of engineering skills here, in South Africa, unless addressed, would retard higher economic growth. Our demand for skills has been fuelled by the massive infrastructure spending drive ahead of the 2010 World Cup."
The website address for the campaign is www.whereintheworldareyou.co.za and is being heavily marketed internationally.
Web Site = http://www.whereintheworldareyou.co.za/
2025
