Migrant Networks, Food Remittances and Zimbabweans in Cape Town

A Social Media Perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID13112640
AuthorsSean Sithole (University of the Western Cape, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume9
Issue1
Publication date2023-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAFRICAN HUMAN MOBILITY REVIEW (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2410-7972 • E-ISSN: 2411-6955
PublisherUniversity of the Western Cape Library Service (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.14426/ahmr.v9i1.1124
OpenAlexW4366962560
LanguageEN
Citations received2

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 utilising 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

Agriculture · Face (sociological concept · Food security · Geography · Nexus (standard · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Public relations · Social media · Social science · Sociology · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy

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Open DOIOpen Access