AFRICAN MIGRANTS TOWARD INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN MOZAMBIQUE: A CASE STUDY OF THE CITY OF MAPUTO

Migration African scholars have argued that the Migration of Africans is occurring within the continent. That Migration can either be intra-regional or inter-regional. South Africa and Northern Africa constitute the core for all African immigration flows; the so-called intra-immigration is made of migration chains such as within the Maghreb region, west, east, and southern Africa. Historically, Mozambique has sent labor to South Africa in plantations and mining for more than two centuries, while on the other hand, it was seen as a producer of refugees, a Portuguese-speaking country, and lower levels of Development indicators. As a consequence, it was a country not desirable to be or to settle. In the last two decades, the stigma on immigration towards Mozambique is deconstructed because of the businesses and jobs opportunities that arose in the country for the boom era of mining, including oil, gas, and coal. The current geography of immigration is made of a multicultural of people from all over the world. A chain of new shops made of construction material, spare car material, barber, boutiques, groceries, and liquor shops are widely seen in Maputo. Most in containers and owned mainly by African migrants, Chinese, and Mozambicans. African migrants have been portrayed as those who do not add any value to any economy. Instead, they are job stealers. However, the study has demonstrated African’s contribution to economic growth as they give jobs and regularly pay rents and taxes. The study is part of MIAG (Migration for Inclusive African Growth)1 results where interviews and surveys were used.