The myth of a better life - EP3.3 - e-Poster Terminal 3 September 4, 2025

Sep 30, 2026

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The study examines how migrants in Musina, a South African border municipality with Zimbabwe, navigate the gap between expectations and reality in pursuit of health and wellbeing. Migrants face a dilemma: pursue improved health in the host country or return home amid worsening conditions and limited access to essential services. Using surveys and in-depth interviews, results link precarious livelihood activities and weak social security to health hazards while highlighting migrants’ resilience and agency in crafting alternatives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Methods

Findings

Conclusion

Keywords

vi142 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 widening the gap between expectations and reality. Migrants face a dilemma: whether to pursue improved health and wellbeing in the host country or return home due to worsening conditions and limited access to essential services. Methods: The study employed a multi-methods approach, triangulating data from 628 administered surveys and 64 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with migrants in Musina (2024 – 2025) . The study adopted a combination of convenience and purposive sampling for the IDIs and multi-stage random sampling for the survey. The survey data was collected using REDcap and analysed using R whilst qualitative data was analysed thematically using Atlas-Ti. Findings: Our paper highlights precarious livelihood activities –encompassing both formal and informal income-generating strategies-and how they are associated with health hazards and lack of social security that undermines the health and well-being of migrants in Musina. Despite facing adversity, migrants don’t see themselves as ‘vulnerable victims’ but actively adapt through resilience and determination to generate income. Their ability to “poach on adversity” and craft alternative livelihood strategies reflects not only economic resourcefulness but also strong sense of agency that contributes positively to their overall health and well-being. Conclusion: The study contributes to our understanding of the complex interplay between migration, precarity, and migrant wellbeing in a border area, underscoring the needs for targeted interventions to address the challenges faced by migrant populations. Keywords: myths, expectations, health, wellbeing, livelihoods, precarities Abstract citation ID: ckaf180 .395 579 The myth of a better life: unpacking the precarities of migration and their impact on health and wellbeing ina South African border region Lydia Moyo1 1Wits, Johannesburg, South Africa EP3.3, e-Poster Terminal 3, September 4, 2025, 10:05-10:25 Background: The Musina Municipality sits on the South African side of the border with Zimbabwe, and presents a complex relationship between migration, precarity, and health. Internal migrants from elsewhere in South Africa, international migrants’ refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants often move seeking better socio-economic opportunities, which are closely tied to their overall health and wellbeing. Yet challenging living and working conditions negatively affect their physical, mental, and social health,

FAQs

What background problem does the study focus on in Musina?

It focuses on the complex relationship between migration, precarity, and health, and how challenging living and working conditions undermine migrants’ physical, mental, and social health.

How was the research conducted?

It used multi-methods data collection, combining 628 administered surveys with 64 in-depth interviews with migrants in Musina (2024–2025), using REDcap for surveys and R and thematic analysis in Atlas-Ti for qualitative data.

What do the findings say about migrants’ health and wellbeing?

They show that precarious livelihood activities and lack of social security are associated with health hazards, while migrants adapt through resilience, determination, and alternative livelihood strategies that reflect strong agency.

Sep 30, 2026

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