How do migrants fare in the southern African migration system?

Tukufu Zuberi, University of Pennsylvania
Kevin J.A. Thomas, Harvard University

This study examines the relationship between migration status, nativity, and health outcomes in the Southern African Migration System (SAMS). We focus on health outcomes in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Health status is the main indicator of immigrant well-being. The study also seeks to determine the extent to which duration of residence, human capital, age, marital status, and place of residence contribute to differentials in health status. We begin by discussing labour migration in the context of the SAMS. This section is then followed by a discussion of the data and methods employed in the study. Our analytic strategy begins with a comparison of the native-born population to the foreign-born immigrants. In the second part of the analysis, we exclude all foreign-born individuals and then compare the health status of internal migrants with those of nonmigrants.