Research on the Socio-Economic Contribution of Migrants in South Africa's Informal Urban Settlements

Migrants and host communities in South Africa’s informal urban settlements share often harsh living conditions. Employment is scarce, and the communities are frustrated with the lack of service delivery by the local government administration. In the past, this has led to friction between the communities, which has escalated violently. There are indications that migrants, although often perceived to be part of the problem, do contribute to economic development and job creation in the informal urban settlements. However, this topic has not been researched extensively enough to allow government policy development and implementation. This project proposal seeks to conduct research on the socio-economic contribution of migrants in the informal urban settlements of South Africa.

The overall objective ‘Support government policy development, enhance social cohesion and promote public investment in the informal urban settlements’ will be achieved through the following outcome: i) Municipal Officials demonstrate increased knowledge on the socio-economic contribution of migrants and make changes to municipal regulations that affect the economic regulatory climate in the informal urban settlements.