How Refugees in South Africa Use Mobile Phones for Social Connectedness

Abstract

ABSTRACT— Refugees struggle to integrate into a host country due to a myriad of challenges. Mobile phones have become one of the main tools which refugees may use to promote their wellbeing and to support their integration into refugee communities. The main objective of this study was to examine how the use of mobile phones by refugees in South Africa contributes to their social connectedness. This research employed a qualitative method and an interpretivist epistemological perspective. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and WhatsApp group chats, and analysed using thematic analysis. The interviewees comprised 27 refugees and the WhatsApp group had 15 members. The findings demonstrate that the refugees face a multitude of obstacles; these included language and culture barriers, the challenge of obtaining legal status, physical separation from their friends and family, and feelings of being judged, insecure, and excluded. Mobile phone usage offers refugees several benefits, especially through their affordances. These include accessing information, pursuing economic and institutional opportunities, enabling communication, and developing linguistic and cultural knowledge of the host country. This study adds to perspectives on utilising mobile phones to achieve social connectedness for two categories of refugees: newcomers and old-timers.