Southern Africa: Young, Urban, Educated, Working Emaswati Eyeing Jobs Abroad, Mostly in South Africa

26 November 2025
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Asafika Mpako and Stephen Ndoma

Citizens support free cross-border movement but want fewer immigrants.

Key findings

  • Nearly eight in 10 Emaswati (78%) say Southern Africans should be able to move freely across international borders in order to trade or work in other countries. Fewer than one-fifth (18%) think the government should limit people's cross-border movement.
  • But more than four in 10 respondents (42%) say that, in practice, crossing international borders is "difficult" or "very difficult."
  • Six in 10 citizens (59%) see migrants' economic impacts on Eswatini as negative, but 28% disagree.
  • Strong majorities say they would like or wouldn't mind living next door to foreign workers or immigrants (81%) or refugees (71%).
  • Even so, about eight in 10 Emaswati (81%) say the government should reduce the number of foreign job seekers it allows to enter the country (63%) or eliminate such immigration altogether (18%).
  • A similar majority (80%) favour reducing (69%) or eliminating (11%) entry by refugees.
  • Nearly four in 10 respondents (38%) say they have given at least "a little bit" of thought to leaving Eswatini, including 18% who have considered it "a lot."
  • This figure is highest among urbanites (50%), the most educated (49% of those with post-secondary education), the youth (49% of 18- to 35-year-olds), and citizens who are employed full time (48%).
  • The most common reasons given for potential emigration are economic, led by finding work opportunities (cited by 68% of those who have considered emigrating).
  • The most popular destination among potential emigrants is South Africa (51%). North America (14%), Europe (14%), and Asia (8%) are next on the list of preferred destinations.

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Eswatini functions as an origin, transit, and destination country for migration. The most recent census shows that as of 2017, 23,732 foreign nationals resided in the country, almost half of them Mozambicans or South Africans (International Organization for Migration, 2023). Male migrants primarily enter the country for employment purposes, while female migrants mainly come to join their spouses or families. Between 2015 and 2021, the Immigration Department issued the largest number of work permits to citizens of South Africa (36.2%), Zimbabwe (11.1%), India (6.9%), and Pakistan (6.2%) (International Organization for Migration, 2023).

Human trafficking is reportedly rampant in Eswatini. Transnational organised crime groups use irregular border crossings to traffic people - chiefly African and Asian males - into South Africa, where they are exploited for sex, labour, or both (International Organization for Migration, 2023).

Due to the ongoing insurgency in neighbouring Mozambique, Eswatini has become a destination for hundreds of asylum seekers fleeing persecution in Mozambique. In December 2024, the number of daily arrivals of asylum seekers at Malindza Camp jumped from 23 early in the month to 399 by 29 December (Africa Press, 2024). In the five years leading up to 2021, the bulk of asylum-seeker applications came from citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia (International Organization for Migration, 2023).

In March this year, Eswatini launched its first-ever National Labour Migration Policy to "effectively manage labour migration so that it protects all workers, develops the country's economy, strengthens and transfers skills, integrates returnees, and benefits the Kingdom and its subjects as a whole" (Kingdom of Eswatini, 2019). The policy was developed to align with the Southern African Development Community's Labour Migration Action Plan (2020-2025), which aims to improve regional integration and boost governance of labour migration within the bloc (International Labour Organization, 2025).

Eswatini is battling severe unemployment (currently at 34.5%) and a sluggish economy (Bhembe, 2025). More than 30% of young men and almost 40% of young women are classified as "not in education, employment, or training." Amid these economic challenges, many Emaswati look for better employment prospects abroad. According to labour unions, young teachers and nurses are increasingly leaving to pursue opportunities in developed countries, especially in the United Kingdom. However, some citizens' desperation leaves them vulnerable to scammers and fraudsters, who promise jobs in developed countries only to traffic them or deprive them of their modest savings (Ngwenya, 2024).

Ahead of International Migrants Day (18 December), the latest Afrobarometer survey sheds light on Emaswati perspectives on migration. Findings show that while a majority of citizens favour the free movement of people across borders to work and trade in Southern Africa, most want fewer foreigners to come into their own country. This view prevails even though most respondents profess no reservations about living next door to foreign workers or refugees.

Meanwhile, nearly four in 10 of adults have considered emigration, mostly in search of work. Half of them say South Africa is their preferred destination. Urban residents, youth, full-time workers, and highly educated citizens are especially likely to contemplate moving abroad.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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