RONAK GOPALDAS: Flipping the script on Africa’s brain drain

For decades, the term “brain drain” has cast a shadow over Africa’s development story — a lament that its brightest minds leave in pursuit of better opportunities, never to return. This framing is deeply embedded in policy and public discourse. But what if there is another way to look at this? What if the problem is not that African talent leaves, but that Africa has not built systems to harness and benefit from its global citizens? Perhaps exporting raw talent can — with imagination and strategy — become part of Africa’s comparative advantage. 

The world has changed, and, subsequently, the possibilities for talent mobility. Previously, emigration meant disconnection. Today, digital technology, remote work, global finance and cross-border entrepreneurship allow individuals to live in one geography while contributing to another. The binaries of “stay” versus “leave” no longer apply.

The task for African countries is no longer just to retain all their talent physically, but to ensure that those who leave remain invested, engaged and economically connected. This conceptual leap from talent retention to talent engagement is the one African policymakers, businesses and civil societies need to make. 

This principle is evident in SA’s sporting success. The country’s best rugby and cricket players build lucrative careers in England, France and Japan, while cricketers do the same in India. But when national duty calls they return — bringing global experience and skills that enrich SA’s teams. What if African scientists, fintech entrepreneurs, artists and consultants could similarly circulate — adding value abroad and back home? The India example, where many tech workers studied and gained experience in the US, then return home to fuel the country’s start-up industry offers a template for Africa.  

This shift in framing is demanded by global trends that are redefining the talent economy. The convergence between “emerging” and “submerging” markets offers Africa a unique window to re-engage its diaspora communities, while tempting some to migrate back home. Many Western economies are becoming less welcoming to immigrants, turning inward amid populism and socioeconomic pressures.

Untapped reservoir

Concurrently, Africa’s demographic profile offers a vast, untapped reservoir of human capital at a moment when technology allows work to flow to people, not just people to work. Remote work, digital entrepreneurship and virtual collaboration make it possible for an African professional in Berlin, Toronto or London to contribute directly to an African business — and vice versa. 

Meanwhile, the slowing of hyper-globalisation — what some have called “slowbalisation” — is forcing companies to diversify supply chains and investment destinations. In this context, Africa’s relevance is growing, not shrinking. Its critical minerals are essential to the global energy transition; its consumers represent one of the last major growth markets; and its labour force is increasingly seen as a solution to ageing populations in the West. 

When overlaid with potential improvements in quality of life, cultural connection and community — these are all pull factors for Africa’s diaspora. The challenge now for African policymakers is to build an ecosystem that makes it easy for the diaspora to stay involved and even return. 

This is where the “so what” becomes clear. If governments and institutions do not actively design for this circular talent economy they will remain trapped in the old brain drain paradigm — exporting talent as a permanent loss. But if they invest in building the right systems, the rewards are significant. 

First, there is the multiplier effect of diaspora capital. Remittances already outstrip foreign direct investment in many African economies. But this capital is mostly used for consumption, not growth. If financial instruments, venture platforms and investment vehicles were tailored for the diaspora — offering tax incentives, co-investment guarantees or transparent regulatory pathways — this money could drive entrepreneurship, infrastructure and industrial upgrading rather than simply household survival. 

Second, there is the opportunity for knowledge transfer. Many in the diaspora occupy senior positions globally in technology, healthcare, finance and creative industries. They possess insights and networks that are difficult to acquire domestically. Tapping this could expedite local capacity-building. Israel and India have done this successfully by treating their global citizens as strategic assets as opposed to lost resources.

Third, there is the potential for entrepreneurial leapfrogging. Africa’s digital and green energy transitions are not weighed down by legacy systems, offering a chance to build next-generation industries from scratch. Diaspora Africans, motivated by a sense of purpose as well as profit, could lead this transformation — if given the right platforms, protections and incentives. The “purpose premium” is real: many African émigrés express a desire to contribute back to the continent’s progress — if it is easy, safe and rewarding. 

This brings us to the essential question: what must African states and societies do to unlock this opportunity? Trust is a major obstacle. Many Africans abroad view their home governments with scepticism following years of corruption, instability and dysfunction. Scandals such as SA’s “Nenegate” or the mass “Japa” migration wave in Nigeria are reminders of how fragile confidence can be.

Rebuilding trust demands political reform, functional institutions, reliable infrastructure and an honest narrative of progress and possibility. As Debbie Goodman, CEO of executive talent firm Jack Hammer, observes: “People will only return — physically or virtually — if they believe they can thrive, not merely survive”. 

Indeed, the systemic enablers are where the real transformation lies. Public-private partnerships can create innovation hubs that draw in diaspora entrepreneurs. Start-up ecosystems must offer access to early-stage capital, fast-track intellectual property (IP) protection and simplified cross-border business registration — making it as easy for a Kenyan in Boston to launch a fintech platform in Nairobi as it is for a local founder. Governments can learn from Mauritius’ diaspora scheme, which has catalysed investment and return.

The key is to build the physical, digital and policy infrastructure that turns this potential into reality. If these pieces come together the continent could break the cycle of brain drain and create a new model: a circular, high-value talent economy where human capital flows dynamically — out and back — enriching Africa economically, intellectually and culturally. This could make Africa the world’s most exciting hub for global talent engagement. 

Africa’s talent paradox — abundant youth but limited opportunity — can be solved by flipping the script: not stopping the flow of talent, but engineering the conditions for a loop of value creation. The old brain drain narrative reflects a world that no longer exists — one where people left and never returned. Today’s world is built on flows, networks and exchanges. 

The challenge for Africa is not to prevent its talent from leaving, but to ensure they remain part of its future. For a continent long forced to trade raw goods for finished imports, this could be the ultimate reversal — where its most valuable export is not lost, but returns richer than before. 

• Gopaldas is a director at Signal Risk.