Identifying the changes in the quality of life of southern African development community (SADC) migrants in South Africa from 2001 TO 2011

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Worldwide people migrate to improve their quality of life (QOL) and there are two frequently asked questions about these migrants. Are these migrants satisfied with their decision to migrate, and has this move resulted in an improved QOL? (Olgiati et al. 2012). Various factors are at play when answering these questions. This article determines if the QOL of Southern African Development Community (SADC) migrants in South Africa and the provinces has improved or deteriorated from 2001 to 2011. Data was extracted from Census unit records from Super-Cross and variables were grouped into socio-demographic, socio-economic characteristics, housing conditions, ownership of household goods and service-delivery dimensions of QOL. The study firstly used Excel to calculate percentages and create figures to compare the 2001 and 2011 socio-demographic profile results. Secondly percentages were standardised by subtracting the mean and dividing by the standard deviation and a factor analysis was performed on the socio-economic, housing conditions, ownership of household goods and service-delivery variables to determine the most important variables influencing the QOL of SADC migrants. Lastly, a mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA with province and year as fixed effects, and municipalities as random effect was calculated to determine if statistically significant changes occurred in South Africa and the provinces from 2001 to 2011. Findings show an improvement in the socio-economic, ownership of household goods and service-delivery dimensions of QOL for SADC migrants in South Africa from 2001 to 2011, while their housing conditions deteriorated. The Western Cape is the only province where SADC migrants experienced an exceptional deterioration of most QOL dimensions (ownership of household goods, housing conditions and service delivery). Significant policy implications are discussed.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mense migreer wêreldwyd om hul lewenskwaliteit te verbeter, en daar is twee vrae wat gereeld oor hierdie immigrante gevra word. Is hierdie immigrante tevrede met hulle besluit om te migreer, en het hierdie skuif tot ‘n verbeterde lewenskwaliteit gelei? (Olgiati et al. 2012). Verskeie faktore speel ‘n rol in die beantwoording van hierde vrae. Hierdie artikel bepaal of die lewenskwaliteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap (SAOG) immigrante in Suid-Afrika en in die provinsies vanaf 2001 tot 2011 verbeter of versleg het. Data was uit die Sensus eenheid-rekords van Super-Cross onttrek en die veranderlikes was volgens sosio-demografiese, sosio-ekonomiese karaktereienskappe, behuisingskondisies, eienaarskap van huishoudelike goedere en diensleweringsdimensies van lewenskwaliteit gegroepeer. Die studie het eerstens Excel gebruik om persentasies te bereken en figure te skep wat die sosio-demografiese profiel resultate vanaf 2001 tot 2011 vergelyk. Tweedens, is die persentasies gestandardiseer deur die gemiddelde af te trek en deur die standaardafwyking te deel en ‘n faktor analise op die sosio-ekonomiese, behuisingskondisies, eienaarskap van huishoudelike goedere en diensleweringsveranderlikes gedoen om die mees belangrikste veranderlikes wat lewenskwaliteit van SAOG immigrante beïnvloed te bepaal. Laastens is ‘n gemengde-model herhalende-meting ANOVA met die provinsies en jaar as vaste effekte, en munisipaliteite as ewekansige effek bereken om die statistiese betekenisvolle veranderinge wat in Suid-Afrika en die provinsies vanaf 2001 tot 2011 plaasgevind het te bepaal. Bevindinge toon ‘n verbetering in die sosio-ekonomiese, eienaarskap van huishoudelike goedere en diensleweringsdimensies van lewenskwaliteit van SAOG immigrante in Suid-Afrika vanaf 2001 tot 2011, terwyl die behuisingskondisies versleg het. Die Wes-Kaap is die enigste provinsie waar SAOG immigrante ‘n uitsonderlike agteruitgang in meeste van die lewenskwaliteit dimensies (eienaarskap van huishoudelike goedere, behuisingskondisies en dienslewering) ervaar het. Beduidende beleidsimplikasies word bespreek.

Masters