Social Media Networking as a Coping Strategy Amid the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Case of Migrant Women in Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article explores the use of social media networking as a coping strategy among migrant women during the national lockdown in Limpopo, South Africa. This followed the government’s implementation of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which enforced strict regulations including closure of businesses, restricted movement, banning of informal trade and a wide range of social activities to curb the spread of the virus. While these actions were necessary to deal with the imminent threat of the pandemic, they had unintended effects on the livelihood of vulnerable groups such as migrant women who rely on informal work such as street vending, hair dressing and other menial jobs to fend for their families. Beyond disruption of their mode of economic survival, this was compounded by migrants’ non-eligibility to access social grants or benefits from the Disaster Relief Fund. This yielded unprecedented psychosocial uncertainties with increased potential for distress resulting from food insecurity, unstable accommodation, and isolation due to closed borders. Qualitative data were collected based on snowballed in-depth interviews with migrant women to saturation levels. Inference to the social presence and media richness theories was made to explicate the relationship between social media utilities and participants’ actions. The findings reveal that, migrant women relied on social media networking, particularly WhatsApp to receive updates on lockdown regulations; facilitate psychosocial support and empathise with fellow migrants elsewhere in the country; share survival strategies, and mobilise donations to mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the lockdown among migrant women in the province.