Isle of Man: The island attracting a rising South African community

The Isle of Man is said to have an increasing number of South Africans within its local community.

The island, with a population of just over 85 000 people, has a significant number of South African professionals living there.

SOUTH AFRICANS IN ISLE OF MAN

According to BusinessTech, the Isle of Man’s Chief Minister Alfred Cannan, says that South Africans now make up the island’s largest portion of inhabitants from outside the British Isles.

With a current population of around 86 000 residents, around 10% of the island’s inhabitants are South Africans.

This equates to over 8 000 people.

ISLE OF MAN POPULATION

The island’s population is made up of many older people.

Thus, there is a need to attract younger people who can regenerate the population as well as bring skills and business to the island.

Moreover, the local government seeks to grow the island’s population to 100 000 people.

To achieve this, it is hoping to draw interest from skilled professionals who will move there, to work and start businesses.

ATTRACTING FOREIGNERS

The Isle of Man which is located in the Irish Sea, between England and Ireland, has indeed become a popular destination for South African migrants.

The Isle of Man is an appealing destination for skilled professionals looking for opportunities abroad.

It offers a stable economy, low crime rates as well as no capital gains or inheritance tax.

ENCOURAGING SKILLED MIGRANTS

Local government has therefore implemented a plan to attract skilled workers to the Isle of Man.

It aims to address skills shortages that exist in the island’s economy.

Significant shortages currently exist in finance, healthcare, digital technology and engineering.

WORK PERMIT WAIVER SCHEME

To grow its economy and population, local government has also made it easier for foreigners to move to the Isle of Man, to live and work there.

Local authorities have put in place initiatives such as the Work Permit Waiver Scheme.

This enables local businesses to easily recruit skilled workers from abroad.

SKILLED PROFESSIONALS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

South African professionals are indeed sought after across the globe.

Many South Africans in fact have skills and a wealth of knowledge in the tech, financial services, and healthcare sectors.

The Isle of Man thus views South Africans as ideal candidates to grow its population.  

SAFFAS FESTIVAL 2023

Last year, the island held its inaugural “Saffas Festival” at the end of September. The event is a testament to the fact that South Africans are getting along and enjoying life on the island

Standard Bank sponsored the event, and Isle Settle collaborated with the South African Chamber of Commerce UK to organise and host the festival.

PUSH FACTORS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS

With South Africa’s sluggish economy and political uncertainty, a significant number of professionals are considering their futures abroad.

In addition, the implementation of the NHI comes with much uncertainty for medical and healthcare professionals, many of whom are looking at options outside of the country.

That said, some South Africans take advantage of opportunities that pay them to move to other countries.

Italy and Spain offer regional population regeneration programmes which pay people to live in various regions.