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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

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Where is the South African real estate market heading? In order to answer to this question it's important to understand whether or not some ethnic groups, e.g. the white community, are leaving the country en mass. According to some it is they are not. According to others, it's just a matter of time until South Africa is a country without a significant white community. Statistics are often contradictory. Even more contradictory may be the information given by people living in this country represented in the Internet forums.

It is safe to say that any extreme verdict on this issue will be incorrect. South Africa has indeed been left by thousands representatives of its white minority. On the other hand, as a community they still don't see any life outside Africa. In addition, the government is trying to compensate for the losses by inviting skillful workers to settle in the country.

South Africa is a country that may greatly influence the economic and political development in sub-Sahara Africa. On the other hand, the internal development of this country depends upon the racial and interethnic harmony, or at very least upon the tolerance between the different social and ethnic groups. That's why the information that the white minority, whose economic share is bigger than its numbers would suggest, is packing en mass and planning to leave the country is bad news for the markets, and for sure isn't the news foreign investors want to hear. But is it true? Some statistics seem to confirm this alarming news.

Officially, some 250,000 whites have left the country since early 1990s.

Such statistics though may be misleading. In fact, the total number of white South Africans has been stable for many years at little less than 4.5 million. The number who have emigrated have been compensated for by whites coming in from other African countries as well as by some natural increase. Those who have emigrated from the country have not been living there very long, usually first generation European migrants. On the other hand, many white South Africans can trace their African roots for hundreds of years. For them South Africa is really home and they have nowhere to go unless forced to do so, which is highly unlikely.

South Africa indeed has lost many skilful workers in recent years, but some of them aren't white. Many black nurses have found better jobs in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States. South Africa is a country with at least 500,000 vacant positions for specialists. In our quickly expanding industrial world South Africa, as a leading supplier of so many raw materials, has very good positions in many markets.

To reverse the trend of specialists leaving the country the government of South Africa is looking for foreigners to fill the vacant jobs. South African eyes are turned toward South Asia and toward some Latin American countries. There is also an independent program for international retirees that can prove their financial independence. A minimum of $3,000 per month is usually considered as enough under this program.

South Africa profile:

• Area: 1,219,912 sq km.
• Population: 44.3 million (July 2005 est.)
• Population growth rate: -0.31% (2005 est.)
• Net migration rate: -0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth: 43.27 years.
• HIV/AIDS rate among adults: 21.5% (2005 est.)
• HIV/AIDS deaths: 370,000 (2003 est.)
• Ethnic groups: black 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian 2.5%.
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity $11,100 (2004 est.)
• Population below poverty line: 50% (2000 est.)
• Unemployment rate: 26.2%.
• Industries: world's largest producer of platinum, gold, and chromium.
• Main trading partners: US, Japan, EU countries
• Internet users: 3.1 million (2002)

(Source: CIA - The World Factbook 2005)

South Africa: Neither Black Nor White

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See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of South Africa.