Migration, Remittances and ‘Development’ in Lesotho – Migration Policy Paper 52

Migrant remittances are Lesotho’s major source of foreign exchange, accounting for 25% of GDP in 2006. Since 1990, patterns of migration from Lesotho to South Africa have changed dramatically. These changes include significant increases in legal and irregular cross-border movement between Lesotho and South Africa; declining employment opportunities for Basotho men in the South African gold mines;  increased female migration from Lesotho; growing internal female migration of young women within Lesotho; a ‘brain drain’ from Lesotho to South Africa and the growth of AIDS-related migration in Lesotho. The Southern African Migration Programme’s latest policy paper looks at how these changes have impacted remittance flows and usage.