In 2020, cumulative South African emigrants amounted to roughly 915,000. The vast majority settled in the United Kingdom (around 247,000), followed by Australia (nearly 200,000). Together, the two countries constituted roughly 49 percent of the total South African migrants living abroad. Moreover, the third major country of destination for South Africans was the United States, with about 117,000 people living there. Overall, the 21 countries presented covered 94.4 percent of all South African migrants.
Language: a primary driver of emigration destinations
Language is a factor that helps ease communication and integration for individuals within a new society. Noticeably, the five leading destinations for South African emigrants had English as an official language. In South Africa, English was the second most spoken language outside households. Furthermore, the Netherlands ranked seventh, which language can also justify. Afrikaans, a language developed from 17th-century Dutch, was the third most spoken language among households in South Africa.
Unemployment a major worry and prevalent among youth
* Year given refer to July 1.
Data are estimates based on official statistics on the foreign-born or the foreign population.
Countries with less than 5,000 migrants have been excluded.
The source defines an international migrant as “any person who changes his or her country of usual residence”.
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UN DESA. (December 30, 2020). Stock of emigrants from South Africa in 2020, by country of destination [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238117/stock-of-emigrants-from-south-africa-by-country-of-destination/
UN DESA. "Stock of emigrants from South Africa in 2020, by country of destination." Chart. December 30, 2020. Statista. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238117/stock-of-emigrants-from-south-africa-by-country-of-destination/
UN DESA. (2020). Stock of emigrants from South Africa in 2020, by country of destination. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238117/stock-of-emigrants-from-south-africa-by-country-of-destination/
UN DESA. "Stock of Emigrants from South Africa in 2020, by Country of Destination." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Dec 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238117/stock-of-emigrants-from-south-africa-by-country-of-destination/
UN DESA, Stock of emigrants from South Africa in 2020, by country of destination Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238117/stock-of-emigrants-from-south-africa-by-country-of-destination/ (last visited October 15, 2024)
Stock of emigrants from South Africa in 2020, by country of destination [Graph], UN DESA, December 30, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1238117/stock-of-emigrants-from-south-africa-by-country-of-destination/