Strategic Implication Of Globalization On ‘Brain Drain’ In Emerging Economies: South Africa

The large increase in skilled professional migration between countries in recent years poses new challenges for policymakers. It is important to observe how this phenomenon impacts South Africa due to its unique socio-economic context. One may also reason that as much as globalization has resulted in the easy movement of labor, in the case of South Africa, most of the push factors driving brain drain are a combination of structural and socio-economic dynamics. The aim of the paper is to explore the factors that contribute to the migration of skilled professionals and, furthermore, the long-term implication of brain drain on the sustainable development of the South African economy by collecting pre-existing textual data. Evidence from reviews suggests that globalization has contributed to brain drain in emerging economies. Many emerging markets are experiencing significant human skill losses, which in turn has a negative impact on their development. Furthermore, the reviews have emphasized the contributing factors to the migration of highly skilled professionals to other countries. In addition, findings reveal that the migration of skilled professionals poses a threat to South Africa’s development objectives. To overcome this challenge, it is important to deter skilled professionals from leaving and encourage them to return by addressing concerns like safety and security.