Brain drain isn't binary
The Realistic Optimist is a paid newsletter covering the globalized startup scene.
Paid subscribers include people from Endeavor, Sturgeon Capital, 500 Global, Quona Capital and more.
Its work has been re-published by other tech publications such as Maddyness UK and Tech in Asia.
Author biography
Omar El Hyani is the investment director at Maroc Numeric Fund, a Moroccan VC. He previously worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and at CDG Capital, a Moroccan investment bank.
It’s not that simple
All African startup ecosystems face “brain drain”, the exile of its most promising talent. Some leave after high school, continuing their studies abroad. Some leave during their professional life, seeking better work opportunities. Some leave in search of a superior quality of living. Often, it’s a mix of the three.
The simplistic view of brain drain is binary. Talent is here at home and then poof, it disappears. That feels like a net loss. The reality is closer to what some have coined “brain circulation”. Local talent does leave but accumulates networks, knowledge and capital while abroad. If that talent retains a connection to its home country, which it often does, some of those resources circle back. Remittances (money sent home by migrant workers) is a good example. In 2022, remittances represented around 8% of Morocco’s GDP.
The same logic applies to the startup scene. Morocco does indeed “lose” many of its best and brightest to foreign universities and companies. Moroccan students are known for excelling in elite French engineering schools. But let’s be realistic: are we going to force them to stay in Morocco? No. So how do we make the best out of this situation?