90% of students say they want to leave to find jobs abroad

Crime and corruption, lack of job opportunities, failing infrastructure and the rising cost of living in South Africa have driven the desire of 90% of university students to seek employment opportunities abroad, reports BusinessTech.

This is according to the 2022-23 Student Confidence Index conducted by the Professional Provident Society (PPS) for Professionals, which focused on the major concerns of university students about life after graduation and what that would mean for their career prospects. The survey involved over 2,400 participants, which included undergraduates and postgraduates studying at a public or private university towards a profession-specific degree such as engineering (civil, chemical, securing and network), medicine, law, accounting, business management and psychology.

Of the participants, the survey found that 78% rated crime and corruption as the top-most worrying factor about living in South Africa, with 65% citing unemployment, 66% the failing infrastructure and 52% the cost of living or poverty and the economy. This led to 90% of students, especially among younger black students, wanting to live and work overseas – compared with 39% recorded last year, noted the report.
Full report on the BusinessTech site