In the Shadow of a State: Self-Settlement Strategies and Informal Governance Amongst Somalis in Johannesburg

Jinnah, Zaheera

doi:10.1007/s12134-016-0508-7

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Much of the representation of Johannesburg as a migrant city examines places that are apparently ethnicised or that are home to mixed diasporic communities. The literature examines the hosting of such communities and the imprint they make on the urban environment whether in a permanent fashion or as sites of circulation (Dittgen, 2017; Dormann and Mkhabela, 2019; Jinnah, 2017; Moyo, 2015; Thompson, 2016; Xu, 2017; Zack, 2015b).…”

Section: Migrant Claim-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

An enclave entrepôt: The informal migration industry and Johannesburg’s socio-spatial transformation

Zack

Landau

2021

Urban Studies

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The spatial concentration of production in cities attracts international and domestic labour in ways that change the character and scale of urban space. Drawing on two decades of research on migration and informal trading in Johannesburg, South Africa, this article argues that the global trade in Chinese ‘fast fashion’ interacts with South Africa’s immigration policy, transportation networks, informal trade and established migration infrastructures to transform the city’s Park Station neighbourhood into an enclave entrepôt. Operated and supported by a network of informal logistics services that keep the enclave within but apart from the city, it is exquisitely tailored to cross-border shoppers. At the social and legal margins but at the city’s geographic core, it enables fluidity in an otherwise hostile space; it is at once highly visible and invisibilising. Formed in the shadows of formal institutions and law enforcement, this entrepôt is migrant-driven and serves the needs of people often seeking to remain invisible from the South African state and citizenry. As such, its services are adapted from the infrastructures that service legal and irregular migration in the subcontinent. Unlike ethnic enclaves or neighbourhoods that work as arrival zones, it provides the means to move ‘through’ rather than ‘into’ the city. The entrepôt is a form of migrant space-claiming by vulnerable and mobile people wishing to be in but not of the city. It acts as portal into, through and beyond national territory.

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Section: Migrant Claim-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

An enclave entrepôt: The informal migration industry and Johannesburg’s socio-spatial transformation

Zack

Landau

2021

Urban Studies

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“…The study of Somali organisations suggests five observations; firstly, they are characterised by stability, tenacity and complementary activities and overlapping memberships: one can be a member of several organisations without it affecting one's loyalty to any or producing tensions. Secondly, they link up Somalians in their own businesses and have the strongest protection networks of foreign national communities in South Africa (Jinnah 2016). Thirdly, the Somalian organisations tend to have more extensive home linkages and fourthly, Somalian refugees have access to their own, albeit besieged government for support and resources.…”

Section: Somali Organisations and Activities In Cape Townmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organising Somalian, Congolese and Rwandan Migrants in a Time of Xenophobia in South Africa: Empirical and Methodological Reflections

Uwimpuhwe¹,

Ruiters²

2018

Int. Migration & Integration

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Xenophobic practices pervade civil society and the state in South Africa. But its victims are not passive. Academic scholarship has not sufficiently recognised the multiple roles of refugees and asylum seekers migrant organisations in a context where refugees are required to Bself-settle". The dominant methodological focus of existing research has been on the migrant as the individual. This paper's main research objectives are to question this focus and examine evidence of the collective responses to struggles faced by foreign African migrants and refugee groups in Cape Town. Eleven refugee and asylum seeker associations formed by Somalians, Congolese and Rwandan asylum seekers and refugees were investigated, based on extensive interviews with 11 leaders of refugee organisations. These organisations not only strongly defend migrant interests but also project a long-term view of integration into South African society. In addition, the paper concludes by arguing for a shift in the focus of research in order to show that migrant organisations are crucial in an individual's collective security concerns, in advocacy with government institutions and in initiatives to build relationships with South Africans.

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How Immigrant Shopkeepers in Johannesburg Townships Succeed: A Customer's Eye View

Maisela

2023

Int. Migration & Integration

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In the face of struggling native-owned informal grocery businesses, immigrant-owned shops in Johannesburg townships have demonstrated remarkable success. While research on this topic has been primarily informed by shopkeeper data, this article explores the phenomenon from the viewpoint of customers. Given that customers play a significant role in facilitating the success of businesses, the dearth of a customer perspective of the success of immigrant shopkeepers presents a gap in knowledge. This study addresses this gap by investigating the interaction between shopkeepers and customers from the perspective of customers. Drawing on the theories of customer value and customer satisfaction, the author proposes that customers prefer to patronize immigrant shopkeepers due to the considerable value they provide. The study was conducted in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra and involved the collection of cross-sectional quantitative data from 400 households. The findings indicate that customers patronize immigrant-owned businesses due to the superior value they receive, thereby enabling their success. This research highlights the importance of providing value to attract customers and contributes to the literature on the role of customers in informal business performance. Furthermore, the study sheds light on the contribution of customer reciprocation of shopkeeper value and has important implications for policymakers, business owners, and scholars alike. It underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics underlying the success of immigrant entrepreneurs in South Africa's informal retail sector.

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In the Shadow of a State: Self-Settlement Strategies and Informal Governance Amongst Somalis in Johannesburg

Cited by 4 publications

References 28 publications

An enclave entrepôt: The informal migration industry and Johannesburg’s socio-spatial transformation

An enclave entrepôt: The informal migration industry and Johannesburg’s socio-spatial transformation

Organising Somalian, Congolese and Rwandan Migrants in a Time of Xenophobia in South Africa: Empirical and Methodological Reflections

How Immigrant Shopkeepers in Johannesburg Townships Succeed: A Customer's Eye View

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