South Africa is both an exciting and challenging country and its new constitution is thought to be the most progressive in the world. The new constitution developed at the end of the apartheid era in an attempt to accommodate the demands of a new political landscape while affirming the very ideals of equality and fairness which preluded the historical shift in power. It is a country celebrated for its unique political perspective and the continued commitment of its people to bring about a stable and flourishing economy. An economy sufficiently stable to validate the spirit of the people by bringing a decent quality of life to all.

Africa itself is well known for its pockets of harsh living conditions and the lack of proper education for everyone, aspects which are inseparable from infrastructure and the lack of engineering skills. Unlike most of Africa, South Africa is far better prepared to cater to the demands of the 21st century. Apart from having an abundance of natural resources and arable land, the country has an established if old infrastructure on which to develop one which suits the new demands. Given the country’s commitment to a better quality of life through the allocation and redistribution of work, resources and amenities, it is inevitable that a very challenging period came with the new constitution. The interim period was, and still is, fraught with the problems of maintaining an infrastructure which quickly became inadequate. Little by little, the instability of the last few decades has begun to slow and large scale developments and progressive socioeconomic policies have both been implemented to a degree of success. However, education remains a problem in South Africa. It is thought that out of every million people graduating from tertiary institutions, only 45 of those are qualified for a position in areas of engineering. Now that South Africa is on the cusp of making steady progress, the lack of engineers at every level is proving a great problem.

During the period of readjustment, many of the old schemes which existed to nurture qualified engineers could not be sustained. Currently, there is strong drive to establish newer, more relevant schemes, many of which have already yielded a degree of success.

Of course, like all economies intent on surviving the 21st century, South Africa has developed strong international ties. Fast developing nations like China have a much higher percentage of graduating engineers, producing at least 10 times more every year than South Africa. It is easy to determine why there is such a need for skilled engineers in a country which has the potential to make full use of its natural resources and strong international relations. In order to not only stave the collapse of the extant infrastructure, but to foster a sustainable and progressive economy and country, South Africa needs to be producing engineers at a rate similar to China. A fact of which the government is well aware and is going to great lengths to address. One of the ways in which they’re tackling the issue is by allowing those with skills from other countries to come and work and live. Being a country which holds strict controls of over who can immigrate and work, it is an indication of the need for skilled professionals that they are welcomed. Not only can skilled engineers directly participate in building a strong, stable infrastructure, but many find it rewarding to take part in the schemes for the education of future engineers. Mentoring plays a large role in bringing skill and expertise to a country reliant on a spreading skills and education. Those who have the right skills and embrace the challenges of education and the spirit of development are welcomed and celebrated.

For those who choose to embrace a life and work in this exciting, challenging country, the rewards are significant, for there are few places where those with needed skills can have such a direct impact on a better quality future. The resources are there, the people ready, but there simply aren’t enough qualified engineers to facilitate bringing the two together.