The effects of restrictive South African migrant labor policy on the survival of rural households in southern Africa: A case study from rural Swaziland

Using survey data from Swaziland, this article investigates how a possible restrictive South African migrant labor policy might affect the survival of rural households in Swaziland. The main finding is that in the short run relatively "young" households, with few working members and a weak economic position in the local rural economy, are among the most vulnerable. In the long run the survival of most Swazi households with migrants in South Africa will be at stake given the meager prospects for returning migrants to find employment in Swaziland. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.