I think that there is a false perception among certain white people who believe that they are somehow under siege; that crime only affects them. Blacks are more heavily affected by violent crime. And so this begs the question: Why do white people emigrate and blacks don’t? (This is a YouTube video.)
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Hi Khaya
In my professional capacity – the major push factors are crime, career ceilings for whites (&AA), political uncertainty, feeling of belonging and the pull factors from other countries would be economic attractiveness, accessibility (travel, etc), career prospects, less crime, political stability.
These things as you say, don’t only affect whites. And yes, they leave because they can. At present, this is often easier for white people owing to skills they may have, finance, ancestry and their perceived ability to fit in to the culture of the country looking for them.
BUT and it’s a big BUT…at our last event held in London (Oct 2007), we were astonished that around 40% of the people that attended our event were black South Africans!!! This means that with the gaining of money, skills etc – black people are becoming increasingly mobile and not even they can ignore the sweet pull factors that are dangled in front of them and it means they don’t have to deal with crime either.
Anyway, my point is that it’s not a black white thing at the end of the day. And it’s not only black people that come back in my experience either – people of all colour realise that despite some of the negatives, this country has a great thing going on!
@develiopment economist I guess your thoughts reflect how many white folk see and experience the situation in SA and I would guess many non-white folk too but I can’t speak for them as I am a white South African.
The essential problem it seems to me is that South Africa is being governed by people who cannot see that universal principles transcend people and their opinions, attitudes and beliefs.
This seems to be a widespread problem in Africa, not that it does not exist elsewhere in the world, it does, but in Africa it seems to be almost all pervasive. Unless and until countries are governed by people who recognise that universal principles transcend fickle human wishes and understandings they will never be able to lift themselves out a thirld world type of existence.
My hope is that in SA we have enough people who understand this truth and apply it in their own lives for us as a country to be able to break out of the third world type of existence.
Whites cannot live like animals, this is it.
Crime, Violence, Rape ,Killings ,Climate, poor governancy, Racism , Equal opportunities,promotions,
etc, are all just bollocks and rhetorics than reasons or sounding excuses for people to emigrate from this country.
People are always governed by self interest and go wherever they would benefit.
Most of white people came in this country and stay longer during the era of apartheid, black people were killed ,everyday in the process of violence and most of that violence was led by whites to blacks ,especially security system of the time but that was not a reason for them to leave this country, instead they were coming in their bigger numbers because the system was favouring the white colour.
I cant recall those days as normal days and as days that one would choose and associate them with humanity than animals.
German is one of the countries with a history of massive killings, but we never had of emigration as a reason.
How many wars were fought by english, are they really not familiar with violence? I am not trusting what people are saying here, maybe I got a wrong information from Museums.
The whole african colonisation process was led by whites and it was not a non violence kind of colonisation but , the whole menthod of connotation was bloody, so what are we talking about? where are all these messiahs coming from now? you must be talking about other people from other planets, not these ones I know.
The only good reason for people is, there are no longer having or getting those opportunities they came in this country for or due to changes, people are feeling uncomfortable.
The reality is african in most cases cannt leave this country for simple reason of violence, as Europeans cannt leave there for the same reason but for economic reason of course people would even go to Eraq, because there is oil. oil means money, let us get it straight.
If this country was going to war and people were expected to go to army,2% of these people would take part,than african,but most would shout violence and unsafeytiness, but if it happens in europe,people would just go to army like there are enjoying everything.
This is just a matter of self interest,not about patriotism.
Donnt even go there!
black people can’t afford to leave, as for jayspark’s comment, white people did fight for this country, and we do feel like we belong here, the reason i’m leaving is due to the corruption in the government, i hate paying tax so that someone can take it for themselves and not use it to improve the country.
Andre bye bye, don’t return South Africa is better without you
i’ll return after you’ve burnt it down, which shouldn’t be too long at the rate you’re going kwena.
I emigrated because my ancestors should never have gotten off their ship in the 1750′s. They probably would have chosen not to if they knew what was to happen to their descendants – savage attacks by natives, the Anglo-Boer war with its scorched earth policy and concentration camps, poverty, drought and depression – and then – the latter day SA in which we are made to feel that we are too pale to belong and are to blame and have to pay for everything that has gone wrong up to now and will go wrong in future. I had so much hope for SA in ’94, but not anymore. Adjusting to civilisation in my new country has been quite an ordeal and major adjustment. Nonetheless, immigration made me see very clearly what had happened to SA. Life in my new country resembles the SA of two decades ago when we still lived in relative safety and had no need for security systems, armed patrols, burglar proofing etc etc. When we could go to bed at night without fearing a home invasion. I’m still adjusting to my new country and do not feel quite at home yet, but I do not miss the crime-ridden country SA has become – not one bit. By the way, I do not dislike blacks – I never have. But I do hate criminals.
You’re right, blacks would leave if they could afford it but they’re too poor and whites are too rich. Our hard worn democracy has only been enjoyed by whites.
Why do ppl leave South Africa? (Black AND/OR white)
1) Crime is out of control;
2) The higher the IQ, the better fields you seek;
3) No more merit-applicable jobs;
4) You need a leader to look up to (ie someone that can lead to a better future…not just giving away presents)
5) If you have “earned” something in life, it may just be taken away and “given” to someone as a present.
6) Unfairness as now you can enter the Government with a mere std 3 qualification.
White people emmigrate from SA because they are tired of everything in this country being based on colour. Every choice we make is twisted into a racist choice right down to who you vote for. There is no democracy,freedom of choice and equal opportunity – it is all based on colour.