IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/mig/journl/v19y2022i1p29-40.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Social Networks on Youth Migration, Settlement and Entrepreneurship in Malawi

Author

Listed:
  • Tony Mwenda Kamninga

    (African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), Malawi)

  • Winford H. Masanjala

    (University of Malawi, Malawi)

  • Bertha Chipo Bangara

    (Malawi University of Science and Technology, Malawi)

  • Martin Limbikani Mwale

    (Stellenbosch University, Cape town, South Africa)

Abstract

This study examines the influence of social networks on the settlement and integration of young internal migrants in Malawi. By employing probit models on a unique dataset collected from 1500 urban migrant youths aged between 15 to 35. The results reveal that social networks positively relate to migrant youths settlement in their first migration destination. The relationship is driven by religious grouping membership. Further, social networks of religious groupings and home associations positively relate to migrant youth integration, observed from their increased business ownership. Membership to workers’ unions relates negatively to entrepreneurship. The social networks do not relate to wage job employment. These findings suggest that policy that supports establishment of social networks or leverages their availability could be are key in improving migrant youth welfare through supporting settlement and integration. However, if the goal is enhance migrant youth's formal employment, alternative interventions such as vocation training should be considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Tony Mwenda Kamninga & Winford H. Masanjala & Bertha Chipo Bangara & Martin Limbikani Mwale, 2022. "The Role of Social Networks on Youth Migration, Settlement and Entrepreneurship in Malawi," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 19(1), pages 29-40, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:mig:journl:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:29-40
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.33182/ml.v19i1.1148
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.tplondon.com/ml/article/view/1148/1418
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/https://doi.org/10.33182/ml.v19i1.1148?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:mig:journl:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:29-40. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ML (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.migrationletters.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.