UPTUFS Conference 13092018 Chizuko Sato Institute of Developing Economies IDEJETRO Presentation Outline Introduction and research questions Concept of mixed migration Periodization of Congolese Migration to South Africa ID: 804376
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Slide1
Congolese Mixed Migration to South Africa and Their Livelihood Activities
UP-TUFS Conference
13/09/2018
Chizuko
Sato
Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO)
Slide2Presentation Outline
Introduction and research questions
Concept of “mixed migration”
Periodization of Congolese Migration to South AfricaResearch methodology and basic characteristics of respondentsReasons of migrationLiving spaces in Cape TownLivelihood activities and remittanceConclusion
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Slide3Introduction
Since the early 1990s, South Africa becam
e one of the more
favourable destinations for migrants as well as asylum-seekers from other African countries.The Congolese (from Zaire/DRC) featured prominently among these “new” migrants. They settled down in the inner city neighbourhoods of Johannesburg (eg. Morris and Boullion eds. 2001).Compared with Joburg, the living spaces and livelihoods of African migrants in other cities are less known.
This paper focuses on the Congolese in Cape Town and explores their migration experiences.
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Slide4Research questions
Reasons of migration and agency: Who are they? What are the reasons for them to leave the DRC and
come
to South Africa? Livelihoods: What kind of livelihood activities do they engage in Cape Town?Urban spaces: What kind of urban spaces do they occupy in Cape Town? Is there an equivalent of Hillbrow/Yeoville/Berea in Cape Town? 4
Slide5Concept of “mixed migration”
“Migration can be ‘mixed’ in several sense:
motivations may be mixed at the point of making the decision to move
, when there are often combinations of choice and compulsion in play; people may travel with others in mixed migratory flows; motivations may change en route; and people may find themselves in mixed communities during their journeys or at their destination.” (Van Hear, Brubaker and Bessa 2009)Increasingly blurring distinction between “voluntary” migration and “forced” migrationIssue of urban refugees
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Slide6Periodization of Congolese Migration to SA
Establishment of diplomatic relations and start of migration, 1988/9-1993
Displacements during the two wars, 1997-2001
Movements after peace agreement (2002) and onwards6
Slide7Figure 1. New asylum applications by Congolese in South Africa (Unit: persons)
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Source: UNHCR, various years,
Statistical Yearbook.
Slide8Figure 2. New asylum applications by Congolese in SA and respondents’ year of arrival (Unit: persons)
8
Sources: UNHCR, various years,
Statistical Yearbook; Author’s interviews 2014.
Slide9Methodology and respondents’ characteristics
Face to face, semi-structured interviews with 90 Congolese (M=72, F=18) in Cape Town in 2014.
Congolese research assistant’s (M, 39y, asylum-seeker, Katanga) personal network and snow-ball method.
Age distributionMajority of respondents had either asylum-seeker or refugee permits.
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Slide10Respondents’ origins in the DRC
Katanga (
6
): 33 respondentsKinshasa (7): 25Kasai Oriental (5), Sud-Kivu (11): 7 each
Nord-Kivu (
9
): 6
Bandundu (
1
), Equateur (
3
), Kasai Occidental (
4
): 3 each
Bas-Congo (
2
): 2
Orientale (
10
): 1
10
Source of map: Wikipedia commons.
Map 1. Provinces of DRC (up to 2015)
Slide11Q1. Reasons of migration and agency
Motivations to leave the
DRC and
come to South Africa are mixed. While the importance of economic reason (“better opportunities”) is undeniable, escaping from politically-related personal insecurities, the military recruitment, or war are also major reasons for Congolese to come to SA.11
Table 1. Reasons of leaving the DRC
Desire to search for better opportunities
37
Politically-related personal insecurity
21
Escape from the army or army recruitment
12
War situations and general insecurity
11
The wish to join family members in South Africa
3
Other
6
Total
90
Source: Author’s interview 2014.
Slide1212
Source: Authors’ interview 2014.
Slide13Mixed migratory flow: main travel routes
Only 6 flew to SA from Kinshasa. The rest travelled by road.
Common means of transport: getting rides from truck drivers, buses, walk
Lubumbashi to Joburg via Zambia and ZimbabweLubumbashi to SA via Zambia and NamibiaEastern part of the DRC to Tanzania or Zambia, onto Mozambique and to SAKinshasa to SA via Angola and NamibiaThe assistance of smugglers
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Lubumbashi
Source of map: Google.
Slide14Emergence and effect of chain migration
Few respondents said that they came to South Africa in order to join families and relatives.
However, in fact, 32% of the respondents had relatives in SA at the time of arrival. An additional 28% said that their relatives came to SA after their arrival.
Only 24% had no family in Cape Town.Family members and friends already living in SA are important sources of information about migrating, and they provide motivation to follow them on.Communications and physical travelling are no longer huge barriers for people who wish to migrate.14
Slide15Q2. Living spaces in Cape Town
There is no equivalent of
Hillbrow
and Yeoville of Joburg in Cape Town.Nonetheless, certain neighbourhoods are more popular than others for Congolese migrants.15
Table 2. Living spaces of respondents in Cape Town
Former black township
20
Former
coloured
township
10
Northern suburb and West Coast (Afrikaans-speaking)
43
CBD and southern suburb (English-speaking)
17
Total
90
Source: Author’s interview 2014.
Source of map: Google.
Slide16Frequent moving and housing insecurity
Respondents lived in various
nrighbourhoods
and moved often.The popular residential areas for Congolese changed over time (eg. Owen 2001). Before xenophobia in 2008, more Congolese lived in the townships where rent was cheaper.16
“At first I stayed with my sister in Bellville for one or two months. Then, I found my own place in
Khayelitsha
. I stayed [there] until xenophobia [in 2008]. When xenophobia happened, everyone left
Khayelitsha
. I went to stay with friends in
Kuils
River. Since then, I haven’t gone back to locations. Other places I lived were Strand, Bellville,
Kraaifontein
. I cannot remember all the places. But I never went back to locations”. (
32y male from Lubumbashi
)
Slide17Q3. Livelihood activities in Cape Town
Predominance of security sector work among men: “All Congolese were working as security guards”.
(
31y male from Kinshasa)Limited own self-employment opportunitiesAmong women, trader/hawker was most common, followed by hairdresser, tailor, domestic work, security guard and cashier. 17
Table 3. Type of job: full time
and part-time
Security
22
Restaurant, hotel, retail
9
Construction
3
Domestic worker
2
Parking marshal
2
Other
4
Total
42
Table 4. Type of business: self-employed
Car guard/watch
6
Trader/hawker
5
Barber shop
3
Fixing cell-phone and computer
2
Tailor
2
Other
4
Total
22
Source: Author’s interview 2014.
Slide18Surviving on the edge
Even if working on full time, few respondents had economically comfortable life.
Many lamented that they worked to pay for rent and food alone and that they could not afford to save for anything else.
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“I have been working as a security for five years now. … I earn at least just to survive, to pay rent and to buy food. I work at night shift and on roster. I earn about 3500 rand per month. If I work every day, which means 30 days per month, I earn 4000 rand. My roster says that I should work for four nights and take two nights off. But I usually don’t get two nights off and instead work as overtime in order to earn more money”.
(
33y male from Lubumbashi
)
Slide19“Money, which money?”: limited remittance activities
Q. Have you been back home?: Y=3, N=87
Q. Are you in touch with your family in DRC?: Y=65, N=25
Q. Do you send money home?: Y*=38, N=52 (including those who used to send money, but stopped, but the last remittance was within a year).19
Table 5. Frequency of remittances
Every month
6
Every 2-3 months
8
1-3 times per year
8
Rare occasions
16
Total
38
Source: Author’s interview 2014.
Slide20Going back home?
South Africa is far from the place for many respondents to realize their life they had wanted before migrating.
Despite this, going back to the DRC was not considered an easy solution.
While many wished to go “home”, they usually added “not now” or “not today”. Not only lack of money for travelling and fear of the political repression of the current DRC government, but also a feeling of shame about lack of success is a psychological barrier that has kept them in Cape Town for an extended period. Many felt they cannot go home empty handed or without sufficient money to start their own business.20
Slide21Concluding remarks
Going out of the DRC itself (migration) is a survival and livelihood strategy for the majority of respondents.
They try to make a living and have family in the destination country, which is in this case South Africa.
Migration experiences of Congolese respondents in Cape Town resemble closely with characteristics of mixed migration or survival migration, which is becoming an important feature of transnational human movement in the 21st century.Comparison with other nationals (eg. Zimbabwe, Malawi, Somali, etc) in South Africa will illuminate the uniqueness and/or commonality of migration experiences of Congolese in this country.
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Slide22Thank you very much.
chizuko_sato@ide.go.jp
chizuko@gmail.com
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