76pc migrants didn’t send money home: Zimstat

Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) says about 76 percent of labour migrants last year did not send remittances back home. In the 2014 Characteristics of Labour Migrants Report, Zimstat said the labour migrants who sent cash had the value of remittances not stated while about 15 percent of the individual labour diasporans remitted amounts less than $100 during the period under review.

It said 76 percent of labour migrants did not send remittances to Zimbabwe while 9.7 percent remitted goods only and 8.9 percent sent cash only.

Zimstat indicated that those who remitted both money and goods were 4.7 percent. The report also shows that there were more females than males who sent money and goods, while more males remitted money only with more females sending goods only.

“Seventy-five percent females, more than males, sent both money and goods, whereas more males than females, 69.6 percent, sent money only and more females than males sent goods only, 68 percent. More males than females did not remit anything, 56.9 percent and 43.1 percent respectively,” it said.

During the period under review, Zimstat also indicated that there were more females than males who remitted at least $500 while females also dominated in remittances less than $100. “Those who remitted at least $500 were 63.6 percent females and 36.4 percent males while those who remitted less than $100 were 56.4 percent females and 46.3 percent males.”

According to Zimstat, an overall total of 41.9 percent of migrants cited lack of work opportunities in Zimbabwe as the reason for migrating while 9.7 percent migrated to increase household income. It said 19.8 percent migrated for family reasons and 14.0 percent to study while 1.2 percent migrated to gain experience and career advancement. “Most labour migrants were staying in South Africa (82.6 percent) followed by other neighbouring countries, Botswana at 4.3 percent and Mozambique at 3.1 percent. Overseas countries, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, combined together had 3.1 percent of all emigrants,” said Zimstat.