Making sense of uncertainty: The precarious lives of young migrants from rural Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

ABSTRACT

This study aims to examine the experiences of young migrants and the role of uncertainty in their precarious lives. Drawing on data from individual interviews and a workshop with young migrants aged 16–24 years old in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, we use uncertainty as a theoretical lens, to illustrate the ways in which young migrants’ experiences provide meaning for them and give them an opportunity to assess, and plan for better opportunities despite the stark outlook. Thematic analysis was used to examine the multidimensionality of socio-spatial identities in young migrants. The findings illustrate how young migrants hustle for opportunities to lead valuable lives in the face of uncertainty. The implications highlight how attending to the complex intersectional nuances of uncertainty can serve as an enabler of aspirations, alongside essential structural factors influencing migration among young people brought up in rural communities. However, in proposing this alternative view of positive uncertainty, the structural violence experienced by these young people should not be overlooked and should be addressed as per their context.

KEYWORDS:

• Uncertainty
• waithood
• youth
• mobility
• identity

Acknowledgements

We offer our gratitude to the AHRI Somkhele based team members, the Social Sciences Core management and all those who supported us in the conduct of this study. We are very grateful to our participants for their time and for sharing their experiences with us.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, NN upon reasonable request. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the ViiV Healthcare Positive Action for Adolescents. In addition, the study team was supported by the Africa Health Research Institute research team and infrastructure which is funded by Wellcome Strategic Core award: 201433/Z/16/A. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.