Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US – all places that I’ve heard people talk about emigrating to in the past year or so.

These are people that will actually do it, too, unlike that neighbour who’s been talking about emigrating on Facebook for as long as the social media giant has existed.

Dress it up however you like, the fact remains that the ‘brain drain’ is a real threat, and it’s not just young white professionals looking to make the move.

On Sunday’s Carte Blanche, Derek Watts tackled the thorny issue in a segment titled ‘The Great Migration’. Here’s the write-up:

From medical doctors, engineers to finance specialists – skilled and educated South Africans are packing it all up and heading abroad. With the high crime rate, loss of job security and economic uncertainty thousands are looking for greener pastures and the United Kingdom and Australia seem to be the destinations of choice. But what impact will the loss of these critical skills have on South Africa? And who is coming in from elsewhere to work in SA? Carte Blanche explores the great migration.

I can’t take Carte Blanche live on a Sunday, because one has to try and enjoy the final embers of the weekend, but it’s worth a watch today:

Sheesh – even more depressing than their segment about the horrors of South African dog breeding.

[source:carteblanche]