Guys, the slow but steady drain of pilots from this country has really been most visible in the "other" non SAA airlines. The symptoms that they have experienced have all been the same, irrespective of the company involved, ie politics, state of the nation, management practises, salary issues, working conditions, promotion prospects, etc. It was only a matter of time before these same symptoms became an issue at SAA.
Everyone just wants a safe and prosperous career with a secure future for themselves and their families. When you couple the scene in South Africa with our aviation market, it's no surprise that the guys are looking outside our borders to secure their future. The world is wide open for SA pilots and unless the general situation in South Africa improves, along with working conditions, career prospects, etc, in the airlines, the boys are going to go.
Anybody that swears allegiance to a company is only fooling himself. There is only one person that is going to look after your future and happiness and that's you! All airlines have their problems - it's up to you to decide which problems are acceptable to you and which ones are not. Nobody else can determine that for you. The grass may not be greener on the other side, just a different flavour and I can't blame guys for making the choice to try it out.
If you're going to move, now is the time with the world crying out for pilots.