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

Authors

  • Sean Sithole Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Social Development, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western, South Africa Cape https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1384-9567

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14426/ahmr.v9i1.1124

Keywords:

Food remittances, food security, social media, migrant networks, Zimbabwean migrants

Abstract

This study examines the evolving connection between migrant networking on social media and cross-border food remittances in Southern Africa. 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 utilizing 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.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Downloads

Published

30-04-2023

How to Cite

Sithole, S. (2023). Migrant Networks, Food Remittances and Zimbabweans in Cape Town: A Social Media Perspective. African Human Mobility Review, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.14426/ahmr.v9i1.1124