Migration Brokerage Among South Asian Migrants Traveling to South Africa

The migration brokerage industry across the African continent spawns a powerful network of agents, formal and informal, smuggling networks, and communities that result in a complex and multifaceted chain of actors and role players. After South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994, it became a symbol of opportunity and hope for many migrants. Its political stability and economic prosperity attracted people from countries across Africa and beyond. The ease of entry into South Africa is influenced by the porous nature of its borders with five neighboring countries. This porosity makes it easier for migrants to enter the country, both legally and illegally.

This paper will provide some insight into the journeys undertaken by Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani migrants as they make their way to South Africa. It examines the role of networks of agents, family connections, and transactional costs inherent in these high-risk journeys. While the growth in undocumented migration, smuggling networks and human trafficking had steadily increased, the scale and intensity of these dense, operational networks stretching across continents, revealed in the participants' narratives, show a level of sophistication, but also high levels of risk and resilience. The role of migration brokers in the transatlantic journeys of predominantly less-skilled South Asian migrants across Africa has not been given much attention. The article is based on in-depth interviews together with secondary research on the migration brokerage industry across the continent. Some of the results elucidate the extended network of friends and family to create or find opportunities for employment, resource networks to support migrants along the routes, and the financial and human risks of the journey.