Concerns about crime, the future of their children and career prospects have driven more than 1 million rich and well-educated South Africans to emigrate, a new report shows.
Nearly half of the 1,500 South Africans living in 73 countries polled for the South African Diaspora Report 2026 by the University of Cape Town’s Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing cited fears about insecurity and safety as their main reason for leaving.
The country has one of the world’s highest homicide rates, with only one in 10 cases solved, according to the police. The World Bank estimates that crime erodes at least 10% of annual gross domestic product.
About 90% of respondents held at least one tertiary qualification, and 60% a post-graduate degree or diploma.
South Africa’s diaspora includes a “substantial concentration of high-value individuals,” the institute said.
About 60% of those canvassed live in households earning more than $100,000 (R1.6 million), and a further 20% more than $200,000 (R3.2 million), it said.
The average annual household income in South Africa was 204,359 rand ($12,816) in 2023, the latest statistics office data show.
Data from the United Nations and Statistics South Africa’s mid-year population estimates suggest more than 1 million South Africans, equivalent to less than 2% of the country’s population, live overseas.
The UK, Australia and the US account for more than half of the diaspora, according to the survey. Less than a quarter plan to return, it said.
The report indicated that the emigration trend was likely to continue, citing a study by the Professional Provident Society, which found that 90% of South African students would like to work abroad.
“Among younger Black students in particular, the intention to seek opportunities overseas has surged — rising from 39% in 2021 to 90% in 2024 — driven largely by limited local job prospects and the belief that international markets offer better career pathways,” the report said.
Local authorities stopped collecting data on self-declared emigrants in 2004.
