THE GREAT ESWATINI EXODUS: “ WE HAVE LOST HOPE IN THIS COUNTRY”
As the mounting unemployment crisis in Eswatini continues to skyrocket, a new wave of emigration never seen before in contemporary eSwatini has hit the country like plague.
Hopelessness, unemployment, slave wages and general despondency about the political-cum-economic direction of the country has led to a new form of brain drain; young people leaving the country in droves. Nothing better demonstrates this than a visit to the Home Affairs offices in Mbabane where long queues of people wanting new international passports are a daily sight.
A new danger lurks behind this “great exodus” though as many a Swazi are now vulnerable to human trafficking or being locked in a cycle of abuse, terrible working conditions and low wages "as long as we are not in Swazis everything else is better". A slew of scammers and fraudsters are now exploiting the desperation of Swazis by promising them jobs or emigration opportunities to Ireland, England and increasingly Taiwan.
*Zandile Gamedze is an unemployed graduate who was promised a job in Israel. She is an accountant graduate from the University of Eswatini who has struggled to find a job in the past three years. Through a friend's recommendation, she was promised an emigration opportunity to do menial work in Israel through an agency based in South Africa..
“When the war in Gaza started we were told that low end jobs that were mostly done by Palestinians were now available and that we would get to work instantly.After spending at least E5 000 to a bogus agency I learnt that no such job ever existed, at least not for me,” Gamedze told Swazi Bridge.
Chief Immigration Officer Mthokozisi Dlamini with Home Affairs Communications Officer
The job crisis and emigration opportunities are fraught with a lot of such bogus promises and illegal activities. Local newspapers have reported scandals from the Home Affairs office driven by the the pressure to get Swazi international passports and opportunities to leave this country. In one case a lady people was arrested after falsifying bank statements meant to help her meet the requirements to get an international passport.
Meanwhile, Assistant Immigration Officer Mbongeni Nkosinathi Zwane has been ordered to pay E100,000 cash as bail by the High Court following charges of fraud. SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati told Swazi Bridge that as many as 4 000 teachers were leaving or have left the country in the teaching profession alone. Vilakati said within the teaching profession those who specialise in teaching languages and social departments were most likely to leave.
Another profession affected by this emigration wave is the nursing profession where young nurses are seeing their economic prospects lying in Europe, England in particular. Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union Secretary (SWADNU) General Mayibongwe Masangane said there is no month that goes by that there is no nurse resigning to go work abroad. He said this has been going on for the last three years.
“It's the working conditions and of course remuneration. Many people cannot tolerate the working conditions. It is mainly the young nurses but with experience who are leaving. Normally young nurses get out of school, work for at least two years then leave because normally these jobs don't want inexperienced nurses,” A majority of Swazi nurses are in the UK with a few in the USA, Ireland and Australia.
A nurse in Eswatini. Nurses Union says every month at least one nurse resigns to go work abroad.
Masangane decried this emigration pattern saying most nurses find the terrible working conditions unworkable. “We need to stop it (emigration) because it has a negative impact on the health care delivery of the country. We are losing the young and energetic nurses and government does not seem to employ at the rate nurses are leaving and this leaves us with problems of staff shortages," Masangane said.
"The government has done nothing to stop this or has any retention plan to keep the nurses. Instead the government makes the conditions worse. The shortage of working tools makes things worse because when someone things that yati lana ggitoke ngifelwe ngumuntfu ngitsi nami ngiya improviser because there are no working tools and equipment and then indzaba isale ngami ngedvwa. So the solution is just to leave,” continued Masangane.
Destinations like South Africa, Taiwan, Ireland, England and various other countries worldwide are witnessing an increased influx of Swazi emigrants in search of work and stability. Those already in the diaspora for work or study are refusing to come back home as they believe there is no hope in the country. Economic Stagnation and Limited Job Opportunities Eswatini's economic struggles are no secret.
With a GDP heavily reliant on agriculture and a limited industrial base, the nation has found it difficult to diversify its economy. The unemployment rate, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global economic downturn, has reached alarming levels. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) the country´s youth unemployment stands at 54.7 percent among males and 61.8 percent among females.
The desperation to leave eSwatini comes with dangers of human trafficking.
Furthermore, the proportion of Youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) sits at 35 percent and is higher among females at 39.7 percent compared to males who are at 30.4 percent. Many young Swazis, fresh out of school, find themselves with little to no job prospects.
The lack of industrial growth and limited entrepreneurial opportunities only deepen the crisis. This economic stagnation has left many feeling hopeless and compelled to seek livelihoods beyond Eswatini’s borders.
A labour analyst Mzwandile Mpungose said the crisis of unemployment was the main driver of emigration and that unless and until drastic measures are taken to deal with the problem then more Swazis will continue to leave the country, for both good opportunities and bad ones.
“For a while Swazis would slip into South Africa and get integrated into the vast economy with no visible strain to the country.. However, as most Southern African countries experience a rise in unemployment more people are coming to South Africa and therefore increasing the strain on the labour market and increase in vulnerable workers. The response of South African politicians has been to tighten their immigration laws, control the borders and, sadly, xenophobia. This is not an unusual response from politicians when a country faces such an economic crunch and unemployment as South Africa does. We saw it in west Africa in the 70's and now we are seeing it in Europe. So Swazis can no longer rely on South Africa to be a buffer zone for their poor economic trajectory,” Mpungose said when contacted for a comment on the crisis of unemployment.
South Africa: The Immediate Neighbor and Hope
South Africa, sharing a long border with Eswatini, has become the primary destination for Swazi job seekers. A more diversified economy and larger job market present better opportunities for employment. From low-skilled labour to more specialised professions, South Africa's industries offer a lifeline for many Swazis. However, this migration is not without challenges. Migrants often face xenophobia, legal hurdles, and the pressure of adapting to a new environment.
South Africa faces its own crisis of unemployment and has shrunk into a new form of chauvinism and nationalistic jingoism. However, despite these difficulties, the promise of employment and a more stable income outweighs the risks for many Swazis. The desperation to leave the country has surfaced new dangers; fraud, scamming and human trafficking.
Unemployment in Eswatini and South Africa is rife
Taiwan has emerged as a significant destination for Swazi migrants in recent years. Diplomatic ties between Eswatini and Taiwan have strengthened, facilitating easier migration pathways. Taiwan's demand for labour in sectors like manufacturing, caregiving, and domestic work has opened doors for Swazis seeking employment. Taiwanese language and cultural barriers present unique challenges, but the economic incentives, such as higher wages and better living conditions, attract many Swazis to this East Asian nation.
Furthermore, various bilateral agreements have made the migration process more streamlined, contributing to the steady flow of Swazi workers to Taiwan. The trend of Swazi emigration is not limited to neighbouring countries or nations with diplomatic ties. Swazis are increasingly venturing further afield to countries in Europe, North America, and Australia.
The global demand for skilled and semi-skilled labour provides opportunities for Swazis willing to adapt and integrate into new cultures. Remittances from Swazis abroad play a crucial role in supporting families back home and bolstering Eswatini’s economy.However, this exodus also leads to a brain drain, with the country losing its young, educated, and skilled workforce.
Statistics and numbers
The Eswatini National Census described the Swazi citizens who have emigrated as the “absentee population”. These are members of the household who emigrated from Eswatini during the last 12 years (that is, those members of the household that moved out of the country from 2005 to 2017) so that the country of destination effectively became their new country of usual residence. A total of 32,448 people have emigrated from the country in the past 12 years prior to the 2017 census and these have immigrated to most parts of the world, comprising all sex and age groups.
This is an increase of 8,392 people in the number of emigrants when compared to those who emigrated in the past 12 years prior to the 2007 census. According to data sourced from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2023) country profile for eSwatini for the period 2015–2021 South Africa and Mozambique continue to be the top destination countries for 91 percent and three per cent of the country’s emigrant population respectively, when comparing trends between 2007 and 2017.
Writer says the Ministry of Home Affairs is a heaven for corruption as the pressure for the International passport increases.
According to the Eswatini Diaspora Profile 87 percent of survey diaspora participants were early/mid-career aged, between 25 and 54 years of age with 55 percent female and 45 percent male. The profile of Swazis living in South Africa is consistent with anecdotal evidence of migration patterns. It is possible that the governments of popular Migration destination countries for Emaswati, such as South Africa, the United Kingdom and Canada, keep such records.
However, the records of Emaswati who were formally employed abroad could not be accessed for the country profile due to logistical and procedural issues. Even when they are available, statistics maintained by foreign institutions hardly paint a full picture of Emaswati involved in any form of income-generating occupation abroad.
This is because migrants typically operate on the margins of the labour market in the destination country; the majority work in the informal sector, if not in the unregulated formal sector. The unemployment crisis in eSwatini is a significant driver behind the increasing number of Swazis migrating to South Africa, Taiwan, and beyond. While this provides immediate relief for those who leave, it highlights the urgent need for comprehensive economic reforms within the country.
NB: Not real name