Mutual Antagonisms: Why the South African Diaspora and the South African Government Do Not Engage

Even though South Africa is best known as a destination for migrants, it is also an important global migration source country, with over 750,000 South Africans living abroad. Attempts to situate South African emigrants within the broader context of the large and growing global literature on diaspora engagement and development are comparatively rare. This chapter argues that there is such a thing as a South African diaspora and seeks to understand its character, practices, and attitudes, its fragmented nature, its linkages with South Africa, and its actual and potential return behavior. The chapter provides an analysis of the formation of the global South African diaspora and then examines the case of the South African diaspora in Canada, showing that the majority are antagonistic towards the South African government and the idea of being involved in diaspora activities that would promote development. The final section examines the attitude of the South African government towards diaspora engagement and argues that although the government is supportive of the AU’s position on engaging the African diaspora in development, it does very little to court its own diaspora.