Migrating Out Of Poverty in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper present preliminary results from the MOOP household survey conducted in Zimbabwe in 2015. We provide a profile of migrants and of their households and also explore perceptions of the value of migration. Finally we provide an agenda for further research using our data. Two observations are worthy of further research. First is the finding that male migrants send more money home to their families than female migrants, which we suggest is due to differences in job opportunities available to migrant’s at their destination (skilled construction for men and domestic work for women). However this finding ignores the value of non-cash remittances, which we intend to explore in future work. We also find that households while generally positive about the value of migration to their living standards, are less positive in the context of international migration. We suggest this reflects recent events in South Africa, not least the devaluation of the Rand and an intensification of xenophobia.