Migrant Networks, Food Remittances and Zimbabweans in Cape Town: A Social Media Perspective

Abstract

Emerging research and academic debates have shown that social media platforms transform migration networks. But the role and link between migrant remittances and social media are generally overlooked and neglected. This paper contributes to the ongoing debates by examining the role of social media as a valuable networking tool for food remitting Zimbabwean migrants. The research is founded on a mixed-methods approach, thus utilising both questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews of Zimbabwean migrants in Cape Town, South Africa. The research findings uncover the role of social media in facilitating a regular flow of food remittances back to urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe. A related result is how social media enabled information pathways associated with cross-border food remitting when the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions limited face to face contact. This research can provide valuable insights for academics, researchers and development practitioners interested in the evolving migration, remittances and food security nexus in the global south.