Does poverty constrain migration in South Africa? Evidence, explanations and implications

Abstract

There are indications that poor people may face obstacles to their rural–urban migration. This article pursues the question of whether this is the case in the South African context. It argues for the importance of longitudinal data, which are not available at present, to answer this question conclusively. Levels of education can be used as a proxy for income levels, and the article examines recently published multivariate data in this regard. However, using education as a proxy for income is problematic, because education has an independent effect on migration rates through its selection of those with the skill levels demanded by the labour market. The article develops an argument about the constraining effects of the costs of migration and the role of social networks in migration and ends by demonstrating how the costs of migration can solve a number of puzzles presented by empirical research on migration.

Notes

¹I am indebted to Pieter Kok for this insight.

²‘The border of the Kruger Park with Mozambique was patrolled by the military to prevent infiltration of anti-apartheid forces until the early 1990s and was controlled by an electric fence that gave lethal jolts until the early 1980s when it was turned down.’ http://www.wits.ac.za/tpari/Tele-Seminars/Bushbr%20-%20Thornton.pdf Accessed 21 February 2007.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Derik Gelderblom

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria. A version of this article was presented at the Society in Focus seminar series of the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, University of Stellenbosch, 29 July 2005. The author wishes to thank participants at the seminar, particularly Simon Bekker, who also commented on an earlier draft of this article. The author expresses gratitude for the two anonymous reviewers' comments and suggestions.