AN OVERVIEW OF INDIAN DIASPORA IN SOUTH AFRICA

The term diaspora was derived from the Greek words dia (across) and sperio (to scatter), which was historically associated with exile and dispersion of the Jewish “nation”.

- PREETHI AMARESH

The Chinese, African, Armenia and Indian communities, later followed the model of this Jewish Diaspora. Through the years, the diaspora has become a vital factor in international relations and politics. Diaspora in this unified and globalized sphere has increasingly become consequential actors in world affairs and has been regarded as an extra element to the soft power of a country.

There has been large-scale migration of people in almost every region today across the world due to economic and political order. Other factors such as national security concerns, technological and demographic also tend to mediate the International human capital flows. The effects of international diaspora and migration are complex and are strongly mediated by the policies and the conditions at the nation of origin.

On one hand, the overseas networks are sources of trade, remittances, investment and brain banks but on the other side a country experiences loss of brain drain and loss of scarce talent.