Traditional medicine and religious approaches in adapting to maternal and infant health threats among Zimbabwean migrant women in Giyani, South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study illustrates how the Karanga, a subset of Shona-speaking Zimbabwean migrant women resident in Giyani, South Africa, use aspects of traditional medical and religious practices to protect their health and the lives of their children. It investigates the creative strategies employed by these women to negotiate the effects of their exclusion from South African public healthcare systems. The study draws on key informant interviews, unstructured interviews and life histories. Findings indicate that migrant women and their children are vulnerable to a wide range of health threats. Lack of access to public health services worsens their vulnerability. However, they also demonstrate creativity and agency in devising strategies for mitigating health risks. As coping strategies, migrant women in Giyani use both traditional medical and spiritual faith-healing approaches. Furthermore, how they detect, diagnose, and define illness or lack of health influences their mode of healthcare choice within the limited options available.