Published: 5 October 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
NO COUNTRY OR ITS ECONOMY has been left untouched by Covid-19. In South Africa, where the credit rating was downgraded to junk status before the pandemic even struck, much of the population has been left reeling. Economists in and outside of the country estimate that the country’s GDP will contract by between 7.3 and 11.5 per cent this year, paving the way for a long road to recovery. With growing unemployment and unease, many are talking emigration. The Jewish community is no exception.
However, while the pandemic has been devastating for the country, leadership and organisational structures within the Jewish community have been exemplary. Offering holistic support amidst illness, heartache, and financial uncertainty, the community has again proved its ability to punch way above its weight, giving hope to many who choose to stay.
This community, coupled with the fact that South Africa is home, is what will likely keep a section of Jewish families here for the foreseeable future. The high standard of living, one that is difficult to replicate overseas without significant capital, also influences those who remain.
Regardless of the many challenges it faces, the country has massive potential, natural beauty and the unique humour and spirit of its people. And nothing can replace the pure joy kids experience when they’re with their grandparents, cousins and extended family. The decision to stay or go is rarely an easy one. Yet, as the emigration sales advertised on local Jewish social media pages mount, there are signs of a growing exodus.
Conducted in 2019, and released in April, the Jewish Community Survey of South Africa (JCSSA) shed some light on the community’s pre-Covid migration habits. The survey was spearheaded by the Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town and the Institute for Jewish Policy Research in London. Researchers found about 52,300 Jews remain in South Africa, indicating a 20 per cent drop in this population segment over the past 20 years. This is reportedly due to migration as well as elderly deaths.
Yet 43 per cent of those who remain had considered leaving the country in the 12 months preceding the survey. Respondents ranked the “very big problems” that most worried them. Government corruption topped the list, closely followed by unemployment and crime levels. Fifteen per cent of respondents said they were likely to leave the country within five years. Of that group, 51 per cent planned to move to Israel.
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Yoni and Tzipi* (names changed), a couple in their 30s, plan to make Aliyah with their five-year-old son in December. They’ll immerse themselves in kibbutz life through the Bayit Rishon B'muledet program ("first home in the homeland"). Initially scheduled to leave in August, their move was delayed because of Covid restrictions. While their decision to emigrate wasn’t influenced by the impact of the pandemic, they’ve heard of the push towards Aliyah since it hit.
“For us there were many factors,” Yoni says. “I spent a year as a volunteer in Israel in my early 20s and wanted to return. We both are Zionists at heart. So it was a pull towards Israel as well as a push from South Africa as we’re concerned about the future in the country, both for ourselves and for our son.”
The couple says it will be hard to leave family and friends. “South Africa has many good aspects and its Jewish community is like few in the world,” they say. “We will miss all these things but we will gain in Israel, please God.”
Israel has long been the most popular destination for South African Jews. According to Liat Amar-Arran, Jewish Agency Representative and Director of Israel Centre South Africa, there was a marked increase in South Africans making Aliyah before Covid-19 hit. “Between January and March this year, we had a 20 per cent increase in the number of olim compared to the same period last year.”
Yet because of Covid-19 lockdown, trips to Israel stalled until mid-June, when repatriation flights for Israelis were permitted. “Since then we’ve sent around 120 olim to Israel.” This number would likely have been higher were it not for South Africa’s lockdown restrictions that curtailed the already onerous process of gathering the required Aliyah documents.
While Amar-Arran projects that the number of olim will be similar to last year’s total of 420, she also feels that numbers will significantly increase in 2021. “We’ve definitely had more enquiries than usual since Covid,” she says. “They want to leave – for their family’s futures, to get better jobs or to join relatives – but they also just want to get to Israel. With Covid, many are now planning to do it earlier than they initially thought. As business becomes more challenging, they’re thinking, ‘what do we have to lose now when the whole world is facing crazy times?’.”
Israel has long been the most popular destination for South African Jews. But it is not the only destination. The South African diaspora is widely spread across four main countries. Israel with 26%, followed by Australia and the US following at 21% each, and 20% in the UK.
However, Israel is not the only destination. The JCSSA found that South Africa’s Jewish diaspora is widely spread across four main countries. Israel leads the pack at 26 per cent, with Australia and the US following at 21 per cent each. A further 20 per cent reside in the UK.
The number of immigrants to Australia has been steady, says South African expat and Sydney-based immigration lawyer Phillip Silver. “My client base is diverse. The only South African sector that has increased predominantly are Afrikaans farmers who seek protection visas in Australia based on the farm murders, land invasions and looming land expropriations. The rest of my clients from South Africa range from high net worth individuals to skilled professionals, some of which are Jewish.”
Silver acknowledges the enduring appeal of Australia to young Jewish professionals. “I’m finding that Jewish professionals who don’t have very wealthy parents are the ones immigrating. Young married couples who don’t have kids yet make up most of my Jewish client base. I think when couples already have kids, it’s harder to leave the support structure of grandparents and a domestic.”
He says South Africans mainly immigrate to Australia because of push factors. “They want to leave before they have kids as they feel there’s no future for them in South Africa. Many also already have family in Australia which helps.” Covid has definitely had an impact on South African immigration to Australia, he continues. “No matter which sector of the population I consult with now, their general perception is that the country is now finished.”
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Not everybody echoes this sentiment. Silver also organises investor visas for high net worth Jewish individuals but this is usually for their kids. “The parents aren’t going anywhere,” he says. “My friends in Johannesburg and Cape Town, mainly people in their 50s in established businesses, are staying. They’re hugely successful, they’re living in a bubble and if their kids are in their businesses, they’re staying too.”
Reflecting on Covid’s impact, Rael Cynkin says: “Sadly, a lot of people have lost faith in the ability of the government to turn things around.”. Through his business, No Borders, Cynkin sells EB-5 Investment Visas which enable high net worth individuals to purchase a US Green Card for themselves, their spouses and children under the age of 21 for $US900 000 ($1.3 million). He has also helped individuals to obtain ancestral citizenship from several EU countries.
“Most ancestral EU citizenship applicants just wanted to have those passports as an insurance policy for their children,” Cynkin says. “I also had many clients in Australia, Israel, the UK and the US apply for EU citizenship. Outside of South Africa most of my clients were based in Australia.
“Most of these were Jewish South African expats who wanted EU passports to give their children options.” Those who are drawn to the US are attracted to its educational and economic opportunities, he adds.
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Illustration: John Kron
