April 15th was voting day for South Africans living abroad, with a total of 16,240 voters on hand to cast their votes at the 124 South African missions abroad.

South Africa House, home to the South African mission in London, was the largest polling station in the elections, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), followed by Canberra, Australia, with 1235 registered voters, then Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with 900 registered and Wellington, New Zealand, with 410.

The role of South Africans overseas has not been overlooked by those at home and we publish below the statement issued by Themba Maseko, Government Spokesman and Head of South African Government Communications.

Government acknowledges the important role that South Africans abroad played in the special voting last week thereby strengthening their bond with their compatriots at home as well as giving substance to the ruling by the Constitutional Court that South Africans abroad should have the right to vote.

It was significant that 16 240 South Africans living abroad applied for and were granted permission for a special vote and that almost half of these (7,427) voted in London where the South African High Commissioner mobilised the entire mission to ensure the voting went smoothly.

"Government acknowledges the important role that South Africans abroad played in the special voting last week."

The enthusiasm evident in those who queued outside South Africa House throughout the day bodes well for creating the atmosphere for more South Africans to return and make a contribution through deploying their skills in the nation-building effort or creating more jobs.

It also bodes well for building a brain-bank of South Africans living abroad to assist in the process of image-building, investment and ongoing knowledge exchange and the acquisition of skills.

The Homecoming Revolution has done excellent work over the past five years or so in creating such a climate and proactively connecting South Africans abroad with companies at home seeking skills and disseminating accurate information about opportunities and conditions in the country.

The recently-formed Global South African Network, active in the United States and the United Kingdom, has as its objective the building of a global network of skilled and influential South Africans who can help the country attract foreign direct investment and achieve its economic objectives in a globalised world.

Government acknowledges the important role of skilled and entrepreneurial South Africans returning to the country and contributing from their positions of influence abroad.