Migration, remittances and ‘development’ in Lesotho
Since 1990, patterns of migration from Lesotho to South Africa have changed dramatically, registering significant increases in legal and irregular cross-border movement. This report investigates how these changes have impacted remittance flows and usage.
The paper underscores that before the 1990s, the majority of migrants from Lesotho were single young men who went to work on the South African gold mines and remitted funds to their parents’ households. Nevertheless, migration has become much more mixed in recent years. For instance, employment opportunities for Basotho men in the South African gold mines declined, while female migration from Lesotho increased. In addition, a “brain drain” from Lesotho to South Africa became significant.
The document reveals that changes in the profile of migration from Lesotho have impacted on remittance flows in a number of ways:
- the decline in mine employment has not led to a decrease in remittance flows to Lesotho, but total remittance flows increased as a result of increases in mine wages
- yet, rising remittance flows are directed to a shrinking number of households thus increasing inequality between households and accelerating levels of poverty for those do not have mineworkers
- female domestic workers in South Africa increased, though they remit less to Lesotho than male miners.
The author suggests that migration needs to be re-thought as something that is mutually beneficial for both countries. In this respect, the paper recommends that:
- companies from all over the world should be permitted to come and do business in Lesotho
- Basotho should also be freely allowed to do business in South Africa, free of harassment and deportation.
The document concludes that the only realistic option is to open the borders for unrestricted travel in both directions, creating a favourable economic environment.
