Intra-African migration of students: an indirect approach to assessing the feasibility of reaping the potential economic gains of the demographic dividend in an era of higher education internationalisation and growing inequality

Gabriel G. Tati, University of the Western Cape

The paper critically and indirectly assesses, through intra-African migration of students, the achievability of reaping the benefits of the demographic dividend in Africa. A market segmentation framework and data from different sources are used to document the patterns of migration of students in three countries of destination namely South Africa, Morocco and Senegal. The central argument to the paper is that emigration for study to other African countries in the present context of growth and increasing inequality reflects the responses to mounting difficulties among young people in accessing education of quality and employment at home. This is revealed by the patterns in decision making processes, choices of institutions and programmes, motives, demographics, job prospects and return migration among foreign students. Emigration for study emerges as a viable option for betterment. Findings suggest that reaping the benefits of the demographic dividend may remain problematic for countries failing to address those demands.