South Africa has historically attracted immigration (economic and labour migrants), first from countries such as Zimbabwe and Lesotho with the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in the 19th century, and later displaced migrants due to conflict from countries such as Somalia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This has continued to date, but concurrently, the country also experiences emigration of its skilled population to more developed countries, an overlooked fact in migration discourses.
The economic value of migrants to the South African economy is relatively high. According to the “World Economic Outlook, April 2020: The Great Lockdown” report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), migration is an important economic activity globally because immigrants contribute to labour markets, public finance and economic growth of their host countries. In South Africa, immigrants bring a diversity of skills, they create employment opportunities for themselves by establ