Migration and Development in Mozambique

Download or read book Migration and Development in Mozambique written by Fion De Vletter and published by Institute for Democracy in South Africa. This book was released on 2006 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite Mozambique's relatively high economic growth rate, there has been little absorption of unskilled workers. The urban informal sector has become unattractive to the rural poor, as competition for jobs makes economic survival more difficult. As a result, rural households have sought employment in South Africa. Yet much Mozambican employment in South Africa remains 'illegal', with concomitant risks of exploitation, insecurity and marginalisation. This paper undertakes an inter-regional analysis of south, central and northern Mozambique, considering the impact of remittances in the south, and disparities in wealth and wellbeing. It concludes that the nature of migration in the area has changed significantly in the post-apartheid era, with a notable shift from mining to more varied employment opportunities. Wage remittances remain likely to fall and the employment situation become less secure however, as free market policies, combined with harsh policies on undocumented migrants, take their toll.