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<p>Literature suggests that women are increasingly constituting a large share of international migrants. However, women have remained invisible, excluded from contributing their own share of migratory insights. This study investigates the migration experiences of African women in Durban, South Africa, examining the intricate and multiple realities of their lives. It examines in particular the motivations for their migration as well as the socio-economic challenges they encounter. The study is guided by intersectionality as a theoretical framework, examining how gender, nationality, documentation status, and class jointly shape the experiences of migrant women in urban Durban. Using in-depth interviews with 20 women, the study reveals the systemic hurdles they face and the strategies they adopt to survive in their host country. Migrant women in Durban have to deal with economic exclusion, social marginalization, and restricted access to critical services, yet they refuse to allow these difficulties to define who they are. The narratives of the women paint a powerful picture of resilience amid hardship. These findings highlight the urgent need for focused initiatives that acknowledge the contributions of migrant women and support their integration into urban settings.</p>

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Between Hope and Hardship: Life as an African Migrant Woman in South Africa

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • Nothando Nzuza,
  • Pranitha Maharaj,
  • Tronic Sithole

摘要

Literature suggests that women are increasingly constituting a large share of international migrants. However, women have remained invisible, excluded from contributing their own share of migratory insights. This study investigates the migration experiences of African women in Durban, South Africa, examining the intricate and multiple realities of their lives. It examines in particular the motivations for their migration as well as the socio-economic challenges they encounter. The study is guided by intersectionality as a theoretical framework, examining how gender, nationality, documentation status, and class jointly shape the experiences of migrant women in urban Durban. Using in-depth interviews with 20 women, the study reveals the systemic hurdles they face and the strategies they adopt to survive in their host country. Migrant women in Durban have to deal with economic exclusion, social marginalization, and restricted access to critical services, yet they refuse to allow these difficulties to define who they are. The narratives of the women paint a powerful picture of resilience amid hardship. These findings highlight the urgent need for focused initiatives that acknowledge the contributions of migrant women and support their integration into urban settings.