Staffing solution group Adcorp's latest ‘Employment Survey' showed that about 39 000 South African job seekers had returned to the country from foreign countries over the past year, suggesting a ‘brain drain' reversal trend.

The study anticipated that this figure would rise to around 120 000 people returning home as foreign work contracts expire.

The only insurance company in South Africa catering exclusively for graduate professionals, Professional Provident Society (PPS) Insurance, backed this assumption saying that it had noticed trends among its members that indicated that they were considering returning to South Africa. "We have seen an increased interest from our overseas members to maintain and upgrade their benefits, which can be a good indicator that they intend to return to the country."

PPS CEO Mike Jackson pointed out that the company had noticed a decrease in the number of its members cancelling their policies owing to emigration.

"This suggests that many South African graduate professionals are not only more optimistic about the future in South Africa, but are also seeing improved career prospects here.

"The so-called brain drain in South Africa is finally showing signs of reversing, with indications that skilled graduate professionals who have left the country are beginning to show signs of returning home, and with fewer of those who do remain, choosing to emigrate."

Jackson noted that there could be a number of reasons for this trend including: struggling European markets, which made for tougher employment conditions overseas, coupled with increased visa restrictions in the UK, and a successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup that could have prompted many South Africans to reconsider moving overseas.