African countries that indicated a desire to work in SA include Angola in top position, followed by Ivory Coast, Kenya, Benin, Ghana (down four places since 2014), Cameroon and Nigeria (down five places from 2014), among others.
South Africans keen to work abroad are focusing on career development.
"The research revealed quite a few idiosyncrasies among young working South African professionals. More of them are willing to travel abroad for work and see it as an opportunity to improve their skills and secure their careers," said Stefano Niavas, partner and MD at BCG in SA.
According to the study, the US remains the most favourable work location for South Africans - even amid the volatility of its national politics - followed by Australia, the UK, Canada and Germany.
New Zealand, the UAE, France, China and Switzerland also fell into the top 10 most desirable countries in which to work.