Those who leave can still, however, help their home
countries develop. An increasing number of diaspora
networks, such as the South African Network of Skills
Abroad or the IOM's Migration for Development in
Africa,
are trying to foster research and exchange programmes
or
even business links between those who have left and
those
who have stayed. The Francophone Initiatives of African
Women in France and Europe, another diaspora network,
has
contributed to humanitarian aid, vocational training
for
orphans and micro-credit for women in places like
Congo,
Gabon and Cameroon. Many African expatriates also send
money back to their families. The amount is a lot
higher
than the $4 billion officially recorded in 2002, as
cash
often travels in suitcases or through informal
channels.
For small countries, such as Cape Verde and Lesotho,
remittances make up 12.5% and 26% of GDP, respectively.
In a regional powerhouse like South Africa, the
migration
door swings both ways. The number of foreign students
enrolled in South African universities, most of whom
are
from other African countries, is reckoned to have grown
from 12,600 in 1994 to 35,000 in 2001. South Africa has
also signed agreements with several countries,
including
Cuba and Germany, to lure doctors to South Africa for a
specific period. New immigration rules, in force since
last
month, are supposed to make it easier for educated
foreigners to move south, while staunching the inflow
of
illegal migrants; some 2m Zimbabweans are now said to
be in
South Africa.
Most African countries are still a long way from being
tempting places to come back to. But those such as
South
Africa, with strong and sophisticated economies and
fine
amenities, are plainly better placed. South Africa The
Good
News, an outfit which has produced a series of books,
arranges public events and has a website, all born out
of
the frustration of two Johannesburg businessmen tired
of
hearing their compatriots moan about their country, is
trying to change perceptions. A lot of young South
Africans
working abroad are keeping their options open—and may
come
back. The Homecoming Revolution has organised events in
London to convince South Africans that, in the wake of
Mr
Pienaar, it is worth returning. But it will be an
uphill
task.