By Zandile Nyathi, Head of Human Resources: SPM
Anyone working in HR today can feel a shift in the labour market, even before they see the numbers. You notice it when a strong technician resigns and the recruitment cycle drags on longer than it used to. You notice it when a project manager casually mentions that three colleagues from previous companies are now in Perth or Dubai. The reality is that South African technical talent is being pulled into global opportunities at a rate that is changing how organisations need to think about retention.
International recruiters are not waiting for people to apply. They approach South Africans directly, sometimes with roles that include relocation support and clear professional development paths. These offers often land in the middle of an ordinary workweek, and they catch people at moments when they are tired, stretched, or feeling overlooked. The pull becomes stronger than many employers expect. This is the part that many organisations underestimate.
Technical professionals in South Africa have always been adaptable, but the current environment has sharpened that adaptability into something highly valuable. People work in complex conditions. They navigate unpredictability. They are used to making things work even when circumstances are not ideal. That makes them appealing to countries that have growing infrastructure programmes but limited talent pipelines of their own.
There is another layer that often goes unspoken. Many South African technical employees support extended families and carry responsibilities far beyond their job descriptions. They face unpredictable external pressures that employers do not always see. When global opportunities appear, and those opportunities promise stability, clear growth paths, and structured environments, the decision to leave becomes easier to understand.
Because of this, we are no longer competing with the company across town. We are competing with employers in regions where salaries are structured differently, where career paths are more defined, and where technical employees can build long-term stability. This competition is quiet and constant.
One of the things I see often is the belief that retention rests mainly on salary. Salary is important, especially now, but it is rarely the full story. The bigger question employees ask is whether they feel they are growing. They want to know if their skills will still matter five or ten years from now. They want to work on projects that challenge them. They want leaders who give direction without creating anxiety. When these elements are missing, overseas offers gain more weight.
Some companies assume that a promotion will solve disengagement, but promotions without development do not hold people. Growth needs to be visible in day-to-day work. When technicians and engineers see a clear pathway to new certifications, exposure to different parts of the business, and opportunities to stretch their capabilities, they begin to see a future for themselves inside the organisation.
Culture is another part that plays a bigger role than many leaders realise. Technical work is demanding. When the environment is chaotic or inconsistent, people begin to think about leaving long before they speak about it. Predictability matters. Fairness matters. Access to supportive leadership matters. These elements may not appear on a formal Employee Value Proposition (EVP), but they influence whether someone stays or goes.
The companies that are retaining talent effectively are the ones that treat development as a continuous practice. They give employees structured ways to update their skills. They design work so that people are not constantly operating in crisis mode. They help managers build better relationships with their teams. They make sure employees understand how their contributions fit into the larger purpose of the organisation.
This does not mean overhauling everything at once. It means adjusting how we think about retention. The labour market has shifted, and the old assumptions are no longer reliable. South African companies need EVPs that speak to mastery, stability, meaningful work, and leadership support. These are the factors that make talent look at an overseas offer and decide that they still have room to grow here.
The global recruitment pressure will continue. If anything, it will intensify as other countries expand their infrastructure programmes. We cannot stop people from exploring those opportunities, and we should not try to restrict them. What we can do is create environments that give them good reasons to build their futures here.
Retention has become a strategic effort. It calls for an honest assessment of how we develop people, lead them, and design their working lives. Companies that take this seriously will not only keep their technical talent. They will also become places where people see long-term careers rather than short-term stopovers. If we want people to build their futures in South Africa, we need to show them that their futures still have space to grow.
