Not suprisingly, the Madeirans who went to Guyana weren’t the only ones to abandon the hard, slow life of the island. There are now 300,000 Madeirans in South Africa, perhaps 500,000 in Venezuela, and others scattered elswhere. In all, there are thought to be some 1.3 million Madeirans dotted round the world, nearly 5 times as many as live there.
Often these Madeirans have done well abroad. Guyana has plenty of examples of such immigrants who thrived. In South Africa, Joe ‘Gold’ Berardo made a fortune by inventing a new system for extracting gold from the spoil heaps around Jo’burg. He now has several palatial homes back on Madeira (the photo shows his house on the Monte, with – it’s said – a priceless art collection). Another success story is Sam Mendes (director of the new James Bond film, Skyfall), who is descended from Madeiran protestant emigres.
Success doesn’t always sit well back on Madeira. Migrants who return and flaunt their wealth are not appreciated. No-one likes a show off.
