Abstract
M.Comm.
The general conclusion arrived at in this dissertation is that the quality of infrastructure in
South Africa has resulted in a large and increasing inflow of students from the other African
countries. The ensuing influx of international students has been sustained through the
activities of networks based on kin, acquaintance and the support of the source country
governments. This has resulted in a large inflow of foreign revenue and growth of
employment opportunities and income for South Africa. Although the revenue from the
inflow of international students in South Africa is impressive, it is still trivial in comparison to
what other countries such as the USA, the UK, Australia and China receive. Another
advantage is that the presence of international students offers a potential boost to the skills
shortage in South Africa. The direct benefits from international students to South Africa
have the capacity to be further enhanced but a proper policy for facilitating such inflow is
lacking. Certain administrative processes and practices in South Africa aggravate the
situation. These procedures include visa application difficulties, university registration
bureaucracy, and police behaviour. Worse still, crime and xenophobia in South Africa are
common and they present some of the greatest threats to the continued inflow of
international students.