As globalisation of the world economy continues unabated, a parallel growth of globalization of knowledge is also taking place. This latter trend is little affected by the boundaries between developed and less developed countries and is having a particular impact on the trends of education, in particular on higher education (Moloi et al., 2009). An increasing number of professionals are taking the opportunity to explore the landscape of an international career rather than waiting to be sent by an employer as part of an overseas assignment (Inkson et al., 1997; Suutari & Brewster, 2000). The new careers literature suggests that this trend reflects the increasing flexibility of many contemporary careers where they are now increasingly likely to evolve across international boundaries. Having the flexibility to pursue such a career move which might involve exploring diverse cultures and landscapes presents an inviting prospect. This paper looks at the impact of globalization on higher education within the context of South Africa. It focuses on one particular manifestation of this phenomenon namely the inflow of foreign academics into the higher education institutions of South Africa. It forms the first part of a larger study being undertaken at doctoral level, in which the researcher attempts to investigate the experiences of expatriate academics at South African universities. This first phase of the research is crucial, in order to establish the existence of this particular phenomenon, thereby establishing the importance of this trend as a manifestation of globalization and to determine whether there is a significant inflow of expatriate academics in order to warrant further research.