2162 ISS Monograph 117 Mozambique.indd

The report examines the migration of Congolese nationals to South Africa, noting a transition from elite migration during the late apartheid era to a larger influx of middle-class, educated refugees fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite high levels of human capital, these migrants face significant social dislocation, high unemployment, and systemic discrimination, often finding themselves in survivalist informal labor such as car guarding and hair cutting. The text highlights the role of ethnic 'tribes' as survival networks and the pervasive corruption within the Department of Home Affairs.

• Congolese refugees in South Africa are characterized by high levels of education and human capital, contrasting with common prejudices. A 2003 baseline survey of 24,000 Congolese refugees found that 47% possessed a tertiary education and 33% had matric, with only 4% being unemployed in the DRC.
• There is a stark disparity between the professional backgrounds of Congolese migrants and their employment reality in South Africa. While only 4% were unemployed in the DRC, 29% are unemployed in South Africa, and 50% engage in unskilled survivalist work such as street vending, car guarding, and hair cutting.
• Congolese migrants often rely on tight-knit, parochial ethnic networks—referred to as 'tribes' or 'families'—rather than a consolidated national identity. These networks provide essential survival services, such as housing and job-seeking assistance, and serve as a means of cultural preservation and resistance to assimilation.
• Refugees face systemic discrimination and institutional failure in South Africa. Despite legal rights to healthcare and education, many are denied services or forced to pay fees. Furthermore, the Department of Home Affairs is characterized by incompetence and endemic bribery, with 29% of baseline survey respondents reporting they were asked to pay to submit refugee applications.
• Congolese refugees have come to dominate specific niches of the informal service sector, particularly car guarding and hair cutting. This dominance is attributed to their willingness to perform low-status work that South Africans avoid and their application of middle-class values like hard work and financial planning to survivalist enterprises.
• The migration process is often facilitated by 'Tindikuers'—entrepreneurs who charge fees (up to US$300) to guide migrants from the DRC to South Africa and assist in 'concocting' stories of political persecution to secure asylum seeker status.

APA

Steinberg, J. (n.d.). 2162 ISS Monograph 117 Mozambique.indd. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/117PARTTWO.PDF

Chicago

Steinberg, Jonny. 2162 ISS Monograph 117 Mozambique.indd. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/117PARTTWO.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Steinberg |first1=Jonny |title=2162 ISS Monograph 117 Mozambique.indd |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/117PARTTWO.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{steinbergnd2162, author = {Steinberg, Jonny}, title = {{2162 ISS Monograph 117 Mozambique.indd}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/117PARTTWO.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }