Migration from Malawi to South Africa

Migration from Malawi to South Africa
Author: Banda, Harvey C.
Publisher: Langaa RPCIG
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2017-12-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9956763950

Since the discovery and exploitation of minerals like gold, diamond and copper in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Malawi has played the role of a labour supplier. Malawians were attracted by the relatively higher wages obtaining in the South African mines up to the period of the decline in mine migrancy at the end of the 1980s. Following this decline, a cross-section of Malawians continued to emigrate to South Africa to seek various jobs in the burgeoning informal sector and also for trade purposes. Migration from Malawi to South Africa sheds light on the problems that labour migrants and traders encounter as they are ‘toing’ and ‘froing’ between Malawi and South Africa in pursuit of their respective goals. It shows that migration, which initially was exclusively done for wage employment, is becoming more complex by the day. This is a result of the infusion of elements of commercial migration, smuggling and human trafficking. The book advances the argument that the numbers of migrants to South Africa increased in the post-1994 period partly as a result of mal-administration by the successive democratically-elected governments in Malawi. This development weakened Malawi’s otherwise promising economy and impoverished the rural masses. The book ‘sees’ forlorn hope in the future of labour migrants and traders, unless the Malawi Government starts to genuinely have the welfare of the populace at heart! The book is relevant and accessible to policy-makers, university and college students interested in migration studies, general readers and migrants, themselves.

Perspectives of Labour Migration from Mzimba District, Malawi, to South Africa

Perspectives of Labour Migration from Mzimba District, Malawi, to South Africa
Author: Chidoba Banda
Publisher: African Books Collective
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2017-08-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9956763330

Labour migration from Malawi to South Africa is a century-old phenomenon. It dates as far back as the 1880s following the establishment of diamond and gold mines. In the period up to the 1980s, this migration took either formal or informal nature whereas in the post-1990 period it became exclusively informal, popularly known as selufu in Malawi. This book is an attempt to shed light on both forms of migration over time. By using the case of Mzimba, one of the major labour migration districts in Malawi, Perspectives of Labour Migration shows that migration, especially in the post-1990 period, remains a preoccupation of the different categories of both men and women in selected areas in the country. A cross-section of Malawians continue to regard emigration to South Africa as a means to an end: a way of fulfilling their heart-felt and life-time goals at household and societal levels. Because of their distinguished and unparalleled determination, these labour migrants continue to flock to South Africa in the midst of such challenges as xenophobia, crime, arrests and deportations. The book advances the argument that Malawian labour migrants are purposive and rational human beings who are ready to overcome these challenges, at times using the most improbable means, for example, through the use of mankhwala gha mwabi (luck medicine).

Malawian Migration to Zimbabwe, 1900–1965

Malawian Migration to Zimbabwe, 1900–1965
Author: Zoë R. Groves
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2020-11-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 3030541045

This book explores the culture of migration that emerged in Malawi in the early twentieth century as the British colony became central to labour migration in southern Africa. Migrants who travelled to Zimbabwe stayed for years or decades, and those who never returned became known as machona – ‘the lost ones’. Through an analysis of colonial archives and oral histories, this book captures a range of migrant experiences during a period of enormous political change, including the rise of nationalist politics, and the creation and demise of the Central African Federation. Following migrants from origin to destination, and in some cases back again, this book explores gender, generation, ethnicity and class, and highlights life beyond the workplace in a racially segregated city. Malawian men and women shaped the culture and politics of urban Zimbabwe in ways that remain visible today. Ultimately, the voluntary movement of Africans within the African continent raises important questions about the history of diaspora communities and the politics of belonging in post-colonial Africa.

How Immigrants Contribute to South Africa's Economy

How Immigrants Contribute to South Africa's Economy
Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2018-07-26
Genre:
ISBN: 9264085394

How Immigrants Contribute to South Africa’s Economy is the result of a project carried out by the OECD Development Centre and the International Labour Organization, with support from the European Union.

Migration and Social Protection

Migration and Social Protection
Author: Rachel Sabates-Wheeler
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2011-03-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0230306551

The growing scale of international migration has reshaped the debate on the social rights and social protection available to people outside their countries of origin. This book uses conceptual frameworks, policy analysis and empirical studies of migrants to explore international migrants' needs for and access to social protection across the world.

Migration in South and Southern Africa

Migration in South and Southern Africa
Author: Pieter Kok (Zuid-Afrika.)
Publisher: HSRC Press
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2006
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780796921130

Covers three broad areas: macro-level migration trends in sub-Saharan Africa; micro-level factors in South African migration; and a synthesis of current migration theory.

Border Jumping and Migration Control in Southern Africa

Border Jumping and Migration Control in Southern Africa
Author: Francis Musoni
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 025304717X

With the end of apartheid rule in South Africa and the ongoing economic crisis in Zimbabwe, the border between these Southern African countries has become one of the busiest inland ports of entry in the world. As border crossers wait for clearance, crime, violence, and illegal entries have become rampant. Francis Musoni observes that border jumping has become a way of life for many of those who live on both sides of the Limpopo River and he explores the reasons for this, including searches for better paying jobs and access to food and clothing at affordable prices. Musoni sets these actions into a framework of illegality. He considers how countries have failed to secure their borders, why passports are denied to travelers, and how border jumping has become a phenomenon with a long history, especially in Africa. Musoni emphasizes cross-border travelers' active participation in the making of this history and how clandestine mobility has presented opportunity and creative possibilities for those who are willing to take the risk.

Migration as Economic Imperialism

Migration as Economic Imperialism
Author: Immanuel Ness
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 179
Release: 2023-05-25
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1509554009

For several decades, wealthy states, international development agencies and multinational corporations have encouraged labour migration from the Global South to the Global North. As well as providing essential workers to support the transformation of advanced economies, the remittances that migrants send home have been touted as the most promising means of national development for poor and undeveloped countries. As Immanuel Ness argues in this sharp corrective to conventional wisdom, temporary labour migration represents the most recent form of economic imperialism and global domination. A closer look at the economic and social evidence demonstrates that remittances deepen economic exploitation, unravel societal stability and significantly expand economic inequality between poor and rich societies. The book exposes the damaging political, economic and social effects of migration on origin countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and how border and security mechanisms control and marginalize low-wage migrant workers, especially women and youth. Ness asserts that remittances do not bring growth to poor countries but extend national dependence on the export of migrant workers, leading to warped and unequal development on the global periphery. This expert take will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of migration and development across the social sciences.

Contemporary Migration to South Africa

Contemporary Migration to South Africa
Author: Aurelia Segatti
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2011-08-23
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0821387685

This volume examines international migration policies and practices in post-apartheid South Africa. It consides both regional and highly localised impacts, the historical experience of migration policy-making and the roots of contemporary policy dilemmas as well as the question of skilled labor.