Jobs in South Africa

According to a Recorder report, the federal government is working on a proposal received from its Pretoria High Commission for sending thousands of technicians, draftsmen, electricians, boiler operators, laboratory assistants, miners, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, as well as doctors, engineers, project managers, financial and IT experts. The Ministry of Human Resource Development is said to have prepared a draft MoU for the purpose, and is awaiting suggestions from other ministries and the cabinet's approval to start formal negotiations with Pretoria.
Hopefully, all concerned will provide their input in a timely fashion so that the opportunity is not wasted in any way.
Needless to say, expatriate workers are a significant source of Pakistan's foreign exchange earnings. In the recent months, record remittance from overseas Pakistanis together with higher exports made a major contribution to forex reserves. They support the economy in other important ways too. For example, while the economic situation deteriorated, official figures show remittances from overseas Pakistanis rose 23 percent. During the first eight months of fiscal year 2011-12 the expatriate community sent back $8.59 billion as against $6.96 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier. Apparently, the increase was meant to protect families from the pressures of double-digit inflation and other economic hardship factors. Conditions being what they are, new employment prospects in South Africa are just as important for the economy as they are for the potential candidates and their families.
Yet many will wince at the proposal. Brain drain continues to figure prominently in discussions of Pakistan's long-term growth prospects ever since it formally started exporting manpower to the Middle East some thirty years ago. True, this country needs all the doctors, engineers as well as skilled and semi-skilled workers to put the country on the road to progress and prosperity. But it is also true that the economy remains in a bad shape, and lacks the capacity to absorb an increasing number of skilled/semi-skilled workers and various professionals entering the job market every year. Although the latest Economic Survey of Pakistan put the employment rate at 5.6 percent, the actual number is believed to be much higher. In any case, underemployment is a big problem. Hence whether the government helps or not people will find ways to get well paying jobs wherever available. It would be only appropriate therefore for the government to play its role and work out necessary details with the South African government on such matters as visa requirements, job placements, and proper emoluments, etc.