Coming home‘People often go to get inter-
national experience and take up
career opportunities, and then
come back. The late 20s and early
30s areatrigger time, coinciding
with marriage or havingachild.
Yourealise all your wages are go-
ing into childcare and the kids are
inside because of the cold weather.
The idea of an extended network is
very appealing.’
That’sthe big drawcard, of
course–family and friends. Angel
quotes one of her homecomers:
‘You can make new friends in
Canada but you
can’tmake old
friends.’ There’sa
sense of belonging
and shared history.
And then of course
there’sthe great
weather and
lifestyle; theT-shirt
in winter,the braais
in the backyard.
The research
showed up one cru-
cial area where other
countries are streets
ahead. Respondents rated various
elements important in their work
life, and felt stronglythatthings
likeasense of autonomy,asense of
purpose, flexitime,aclear career
path, opportunities for education
and training were met better
abroad than in South Africa. ‘It’s
abig wake-up call for employers
here–ifthey want to attract those
skills and people, they will need to
meet these needs,’ she says.
An improved economy and a
rigorous approach to governance
would make it easier to attract
homecomers, says Angel. ‘It’stoo
much of an ask to get skills to
come back here when the economy
is performing badly and corruption
is rife. But I’m optimistic. It’s
not easy,but if anybody can do it,
Cyril Ramaphosa can.’So does she ever question the
homecoming message? ‘I am
perhapsalittle battered, but the
only timeIhad serious doubts was
during the xenophobic attacks in
2007.Isat outside in the dark and
wept. The other stuff–the roads,
the electricity–well, I’ve traveled
enough in the rest of Africa to not
be too distressed by that. And on
some level, challenges are opportu-
nities. The electricity situation
means jobs for engineers.’
Angel has two schoolgoing
children and she wouldn’twant to
bring them up anywhere else.
‘They go to top schools and we live
in abeautiful suburb.Iwatch
them playing water polo and I
think there’ssomething quite
wholesome about the life here. At
the same time, they are very aware
about South Africa and its history.
They know what theGinicoefficient
is, and how very blessed they are,
and that they havearesponsibility.
They arelearning Zulu for matric
and identifystrongly as South
Africans.Ithink it’shealthy for
young people to be curious, to go
overseas foragap year,for their
education, or for work.Ihope my
children will too.
‘Touch wood, I’ve never been a
victim of crime.Idofeel safe.Itry
to makeaconnection wherever I
go. Youcan’tgive everyone money,
but you can give themasmile.’
Angel has no time for the haters
who leave and do nothing but
criticise. ‘Mostly it’speople who
have gone and are miserable. They
justify their decision by feeding off
and circulating the bad news.’
She recently gotafurious email
fromaSaffer in Australia, asking
her how she could try and attract
people back to this dangerous
place. ‘Then 10 minutes later I
saw I’d been tagged inapost by awoman who’d come back after see-
ing an interviewIdid on kykNET
years ago, saying it was the best
decision she’severmade.’
The research figures speak for
themselves: 85 to 90% of people
who return say they are happy with
their decision. As Angel says, ‘We
are here for those people who feel
they can do something to contrib-
ute here,who are thinking “Well,
maybe...”.Weare not for everyone.
Certainly not the racists and the
moaners and the pessimists. South
Africa doesn’tneed them.’Angel’sdream is still to playarole
in reversing the brain drain. ‘We
would love to try and get doctors,
nurses and teachers to come back
here where their skills are so des-
perately needed. It’snot easy to get
them back if they are paid well and
workinginstate-of-the-art facilities
overseas. But we would like to try,
if we can get funding to help us.’
So, as midlife crises go, Angel’s
has beenasuccess, both in terms
of her refocused company and in
her life. ‘It is great to own my
own firm.Wecan be nimble and
flexible and kind to staff.Iamless
of aworkaholic.Iwork“agile” at
different times; I’m not always
office-bound.Ifetch my children
from school or go and watch sport.
Iknow they need me to be there
for them at this age.
‘I married the absolute love of
my life and we both love trance
music, so we go dancing together,
andIdoNia four or five times a
week.Ican picture the music going
through every cell in my body,
it’svery trippy!Iamapositive
person.Iget out of bed every day
and try to think of the good things
rather than the bad.Itrust in the
humanity of South Africans, we
can make it work.’✤Still abeliever‘I hear Into the future
the term
“ex-South
African”,
and think,
there’sno
such thing.
You’restill a
South African
wherever
you are.’
16 Fairlady/September 2019