An exploration of livelihoods strategy of Ghanaian migrants in the King Cetshwayo district of Kwazulu-Natal
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Date
2021
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University of Zululand
Abstract
Background: After the demise of apartheid and ushering in a new democratic government in
1994, South Africa saw migrants from different parts of world to South Africa descend to its
shores in increased numbers. Moreover, available literature lump migrants together, and
creates impression that most migrants in South Africa are from the SADC sub-region.
Though, suggested that the surrounding countries tend to populate a particular endowed
country, pockets of other distant countries are also found in such endowed country (Massey,
2015). The silent on the presence of other Sub-Saharan countries apart from SADC in South
Africa and their livelihoods strategies in existing literature prompted the journey of this
research.
Aim: The study highlights the livelihoods strategies of Ghanaian migrants in the King
Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Methods: Mixed methods, which comprises quantitative and qualitative approaches was
employed to collect data. A questionnaire and semi-structured interview tools were used to
complement each other’s weaknesses and present a very strong argument. Fifty (50)
participants were earmarked for this study. Yet, only forty (40) of them returned the
questionnaire. For the qualitative part of this study, five (5) respondents were earmarked for
the semi-structured interviews. Only three honoured the interviews and two (2) declined.
Results: The study revealed that the Ghanaian migrants in the King Cetshwayo District,
came to South Africa as a result of push factors such as, lack of employment, environmental
factors as well as pull factors like high wages, infrastructural development, and non economic reasons like joining their families and friends. On their livelihoods strategies,
measures such as buying fewer items during financial crisis, walking instead of taking taxi
and renting rooms in the township to avoid expensive rent in suburbs were adopted. Then
again, contributions such as sending housekeeping money, material items like clothes and cell
phones, funeral donations and educational materials are usually sent back home to Ghana.
The challenges identified were difficult to find employment opportunities in the public sector,
name tagging by locals and how costly their local food such as yam, gari, palm nut oil and
dried fish are.
Conclusion: Overall, irrespective of challenges and name tags by the locals, the migrants are
happy and live together with indigenes. The study found that there is an inter-marriage
between the migrants and the locals. Moreover, the locals patronise businesses of the
migrants.
Key words: Ghanaian Migrants, Economic Reasons, Livelihoods Strategies, Indigenes, King
Cetshwayo District
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Development studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.
Keywords
Ghanaian migrants, economic reasons, livelihoods strategies, indigenes