Understanding the social exclusion of Zimbabwean migrants in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

This paper applies the social exclusion concept to understanding the experiences of Zimbabwean migrants in Johannesburg, South Africa. It argues that the experiences of Zimbabwean migrants are shaped by certain institutional, individual and social mechanisms of exclusion. The main institutions responsible for migrant exclusion are: the police; hospitals, banks and employers. The paper further argues that migrant social networks mainly used to deal with exclusion have unwittingly made it difficult for migrants to be integrated properly within the South African society. This is because migrant networks emphasise values of exclusivity and difference. The paper proffers a pragmatic view of understanding migrants as citizens of a global world. It maintains that the social exclusion of migrants must be understood from a cosmopolitan and global perspective.