Surviving on Empty: Food Insecurity Among Mozambican Migrants in Johannesburg, South Africa

Mozambique-South Africa constitutes an established cross-border migration corridor in Southern Africa, structured by historical movements tied to the colonial empire and its exploitative resource extraction system, prolonged civil war, and more recent challenges, such as economic hardship and natural disasters. Despite being among the main groups of international migrants, little is known about the food security of Mozambican migrants in South Africa. This paper shares key findings from a new study on the socioeconomic and food security experiences of Mozambican migrants living in Johannesburg, South Africa. The study involved a survey of 400 migrant households across seven neighbourhoods, examining their economic activities, household income sources and spending patterns, remittance practices, food insecurity prevalence, and migrant coping strategies. Improved livelihoods, better living conditions, and food security were ranked among the top reasons migrants cited for relocating to South Africa. Our study shows that many Mozambican migrants engage in low-wage, precarious, informal employment, which keeps them at constant risk of various forms of food insecurity. Food insecurity is widespread and severe, with only 10% of respondent households completely food secure, and another 44% experiencing higher levels of food insecurity and reduced dietary diversity. The study concludes that an enforcement-driven migration policy is unlikely to cease Mozambican migration to South Africa. Protective and inclusive policy strategies are needed to support migrant livelihoods and reduce chronic food insecurity.