Have Migration Patterns in Post-Apartheid South Africa Changed?

Abstract

In post-apartheid South Africa, it may have been expected that circular or temporary internal labour migration would have been replaced by the permanent settlement of Africans at places of employment. However, the evidence suggests that temporary internal labour migration in the country has not declined; rather it appears to have increased, particularly because of the rise in female labour migration. Africans continue to migrate, mostly from households in rural areas, to work or to look for work and they continue to retain ties with, and membership in, their households of origin. These findings resonate with those from recent research on cross-border migration into South Africa: many people entering South Africa do not see themselves as immigrants who wish to settle permanently in the country, but as circular migrants. More research is needed to understand the nature of, and reasons for, this temporary labour migration in and into the country.