Globally, talent retention is a challenge, and this phenomenon of talent retention has global and local implications for human resource management. More specifically, the issues of talent management and talent retention are complex in former colonial countries. The structural adjustments programmes and liberal competitive markets have led to higher informalisation. The colonial governance had also been forced to compromise with local governance and decision making. Additionally, this compromise seems to have a negative impact on institutional development and human resource management. Following a qualitative research methodology, this study has critically reviewed the concept of "promotion" and talent retention in the global and local context of South Africa. The study follows the method of discourse analysis to understand how the concept of promotion and talent retention has been discussed from diverse geopolitical standpo