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- Within the domains of economics and public policy studies, there has been a sturdy increase in the literature on the role played by immigrants (within the premise of this study, unskilled immigrants) in the development of South Africa, especially from an economic perspective. Examining literature related to African migrants in South Africa and their economic contribution, this paper sought to understand whether (un)skilled immigrants contribute to South Africa’s economic development. Amongst the findings of the paper, it was revealed that despite the contribution of (un)skilled immigrants to the South African economy, especially since the fall of apartheid (evident by the different types of informal businesses they run: barbershops, restaurants, vehicle repair shops and salons, to mention a few), their constant struggle to navigate the xenophobic sentiments within South African society is hindering their integration within their respectivecommunities.Nonetheless, despite these challenges, informal businesses by unskilled migrants have become an economic lifeline for those making a living in the informal sector. Central to this has been that they create employment and partake in the transfer of skills and business acumen to their South African employees. Despite their contribution, the role of migrants within the premise of economic contribution has not been welcomed, rather immigrants have been associated with crime and drug smuggling. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to understand how migrants contribute to South Africa’s socio-economic development despite the many challenges they encounter in their quest to integrate within South African society. The study argues that immigrants have contributed to the growth and development of South Africa’s informal sector and with their contribution, contrary to the popular belief that they steal jobs, has created employment and allowed for the transfer of skills to their South African employees. The study, however, acknowledges that from a government perspective, more needs to be done to assist migrants to integrate within South African society and with the development of their businesses.
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- There have been several debates regarding the increasing number of unemployed graduates in South Africa. This is alarming. It calls for researchers to probe government's role in graduates' employment creation. This problem is exacerbated by a lack of, among other things, appropriate skills and experience required by the labour market. A case study approach was adopted on graduates' employability in KwaZulu-Natal. This study examined perceptions of postgraduate students on work readiness in the labour market. A purposive sampling design and 74 questionnaires were distributed to graduates from four faculties at the University of Zululand. Participants comprised of both employed and unemployed post-graduate students who were registered as post-graduate students for the year 2016 at this University. The study was supported by Labour Segmentation Theory. The empirical study showed that factors contributing to graduates' unemployment are lack of job experience, lack of job market information, skills mismatch, lack of job search capabilities, and a high rate of corruption and nepotism in the government sector. The results further show that government initiatives such as internship programmes are not effective enough to equip graduates with the skills and experience that are required in the labour market. Based on the empirical findings, this article argues that government initiatives are not effective enough in assisting graduates to find permanent employment upon graduation. The article suggests the establishment of a close relationship between government and institutions of higher learning in making use of the high-level research and policy discourse on absorption of graduates in the labour market to formulate an effective strategy on graduates' employment.
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