Freedom of movement in Southern Africa

The report examines the gap between the official goal of freedom of movement in Southern Africa and the reality of securitised border management. It identifies key barriers including a lack of political will, unreliable data, and the prioritisation of national sovereignty over regional integration. The authors argue that migration should be viewed as a developmental opportunity rather than a security threat, noting that remittances contribute an average of 3.7% to SADC countries' GDP. South Africa is highlighted as a primary destination for migrants but a major obstacle to regional integration due to its restrictive 'detain and deport' policies and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

• Socio-economic disparities and instability within SADC member states are primary obstacles to a collective migration management approach.
• There is a significant disconnect between official policy and actual practice; while many SADC citizens can travel visa-free for up to 90 days, long-term migration remains difficult due to restrictive documentation requirements.
• Migration governance in the region is heavily securitised, with governments treating migrants as threats to national security and the economy rather than as developmental assets.
• A critical lack of reliable, disaggregated data on migration leads to policy decisions based on misconceptions and political scapegoating rather than empirical evidence.
• Political leaders often prioritise short-term populist gains and nationalist rhetoric over the long-term developmental benefits of a regional migration framework.
• South Africa, as the region's largest economy and primary migrant destination, often hinders regional integration through restrictive policies and a 'self-risks based' approach.
• Migration provides substantial economic benefits to the region, with remittances averaging 3.7% of GDP for SADC countries, and significantly higher for nations like Comoros (21%), Lesotho (15%), and Zimbabwe (11%).
• The 2005 Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons has not entered into force because only four member states—Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and eSwatini—have ratified it.

APA

Maunganidze, O. A., & Formica, J. (2018). Freedom of movement in Southern Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-17.pdf

Chicago

Maunganidze, Ottilia Anna, and Julian Formica. Freedom of movement in Southern Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-17.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maunganidze |first1=Ottilia Anna |last2=Formica |first2=Julian |title=Freedom of movement in Southern Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=November 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-17.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maunganidze2018freedom, author = {Maunganidze, Ottilia Anna and Formica, Julian}, title = {{Freedom of movement in Southern Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-17.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }