Recruiting staff to and retaining them in public higher education institutions has long been a problem of escalating proportions. This is particularly true in respect of those individuals who have high levels of scarce skills, competence and knowledge and the ability to perform at superior levels of excellence in respect of such skills, competencies and knowledge. This makes such individuals upwardly mobile in the labour market (both national and international), the more so if the institution (as in the case of UJ) competes for such skills, competencies and knowledge in the economic heartland of South Africa. If these individuals also belong to the Black designated groups their mobility increases. This therefore demands of institutions to develop ever more competitive conditions of service and remuneration packages to recruit such individuals and to retain their services.