Food Insecurity and Irregular Labour Migration from Northern Malawi to South Africa

The factors influencing migration decisions from Malawi to South Africa have changed with the end of contract migration to the mines and the new normal of irregular migration of both men and women to work in other sectors of the South African economy. Food insecurity is now one of the main drivers of migration as migrants seek to earn income to remit to family in Malawi to purchase food and to invest in agriculture. Food insecurity is normally associated with rural households, but this paper shows that it is also a driver of migration to South Africa from urban Malawi. Drawing on research in the northern city of Mzuzu, the paper traces migrant perceptions of remedies for food insecurity and also traces the challenges migrants face in securing their own food security while in transit and once they reach South Africa.