ANTICIPATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL FLIGHT IN BOTSWANA

Kaone KOODIBETSE

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The diploma thesis aims to examine the status of human capital flight in Botswana. Human resources are an essential asset to any country's economy. Therefore, governments invest millions in education to develop citizens' skills and training to better suit the economy's benefit. Since 1980, skilled people have been migrating between borders in large volumes that exceed past centuries within sub-Saharan Africa. Most African countries face demanding situations that may push their citizens to consider migrating for greener pastures, but Botswana has been marked as an attractive destination. With a consistent history of a long-standing stable democratic political government and an improving economy, it may appear to be prone to brain gain other than brain drain, but, recently, there have been indications pointing toward a possible brain drain. This study, therefore, attempts to determine three factors, first if the skilled personnel persist in leaving the country and the reasons that motivate this thought. Second is to study if those who temporarily migrated would eventually relocate back to the home country and circulate their skills within the country. And lastly, observe if foreigners are getting more attracted to migrating to Botswana.

Abstract:

The diploma thesis aims to examine the status of human capital flight in Botswana. Human resources are an essential asset to any country's economy. Therefore, governments invest millions in education to develop citizens' skills and training to better suit the economy's benefit. Since 1980, skilled people have been migrating between borders in large volumes that exceed past centuries within sub-Saharan Africa. Most African countries face demanding situations that may push their citizens to consider migrating for greener pastures, but Botswana has been marked as an attractive destination. With a consistent history of a long-standing stable democratic political government and an improving economy, it may appear to be prone to brain gain other than brain drain, but, recently, there have been indications pointing toward a possible brain drain. This study, therefore, attempts to determine three factors, first if the skilled personnel persist in leaving the country and the reasons that motivate this thought. Second is to study if those who temporarily migrated would eventually relocate back to the home country and circulate their skills within the country. And lastly, observe if foreigners are getting more attracted to migrating to Botswana.

Keywords

Migration, Human capital flight, labour migration, brain drain, brain gain, brain circulation, Botswana, destination countries, pull factors, push factors, climate change, environmental problems, socio-economic issues

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 21. 6. 2021

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Pavel Nováček, CSc.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geography / Foresight for Environment and Development