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  • ACMS SEMINAR: Exclusionary Cohesion? Rethinking the Nexus between Social Cohesion and Xenophobic Violence in South Africa

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    Presenter: Dr Jean Pierre Misago Date: Wednesday, 25 March 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:45 Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/3dwkccpp, Meeting ID: 957 8662 4514, Passcode: 012731 RSVP: Email ntokozo.yingwana@wits.ac.za Abstract: Drawing on nearly two decades of multi-case and comparative qualitative research, this article examines the relationship between social cohesion and xenophobic violence in South Africa. Echoing emerging scholarship, it challenges the conventional wisdom that social cohesion is inherently a solution to violence. It demonstrates that under certain conditions, social cohesion is linked to xenophobic violence, not as a solution but as a driver. It indeed argues that intersections between i) migration-induced diversity; ii) severe socio-economic deprivation; and iii) local governance deficits turn already pervasive bonding cohesion into ‘exclusionary cohesion’, thereby rendering aspects of social cohesion (i.e. social cohesion itself) a driver of xenophobic violence. The article makes three scholarly contributions. First, it introduces two concepts – ‘exclusionary cohesion’ and ‘deprivation-induced cohesion’ (an extension of social closure) - that capture the essence of aspects of social cohesion making it a driver of xenophobic violence in South Africa. Second, it lends voice to calls for reconceptualising social cohesion by […]

  • ACMS SEMINAR: Fixed Systems, Mobile Lives

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    Presenter: Dr Lucy Pearl Khofi Discussant: Professor Busisiwe Nkala-Dlamini (Wits University, Department of Social Work) Title: Fixed Systems, Mobile Lives: Structural Misalignment and the Negotiation of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care among Mobile Adolescents and Young People in Johannesburg Date: Wednesday, 15 April 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/3dwkccpp, Meeting ID: 957 8662 4514, Passcode: 012731 RSVP: Email ntokozo.yingwana@wits.ac.za Abstract: South Africa has strong legal and policy commitments towards universal health coverage (UHC) and the protection of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). However, mobile adolescents and young people (mAYP) continue to face significant challenges in accessing SRHR services, particularly in rapidly urbanising contexts characterised by high levels of internal and cross-border mobility. Nurture4Youth aims to support mAYP’s health and wellbeing by strengthening their capacity to navigate access to SRHR services in new and often precarious environments. This paper draws on rapid ethnographic assessments conducted in Johannesburg, including inner-city and Soweto township sites, to examine how mAYP experience and navigate access to SRHR services. The rapid ethnographic assessment approach included participatory methods such as transect walks, structured observations of key spaces, community engagements, and in-depth […]

  • ACMS SEMINAR: The Adversity Grid – Beyond Epistemological Traps

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    Presenter: Tanatswa Chineka Title: The Adversity Grid: Beyond Epistemological Traps in the Gendered Liminality of Unaccompanied Migrant Boys Respondent: Prof. Edmos Mtetwa (Department of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe)  Date: Wednesday, 13 May 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/3dwkccpp, Meeting ID: 957 8662 4514, Passcode: 012731 RSVP: Email ntokozo.yingwana@wits.ac.za Abstract: Unaccompanied migrant adolescent boys navigate health and protection systems from structurally precarious positions shaped by displacement, poverty, gendered expectations, and uneven institutional recognition. This paper argues that reductive framings of boys as vulnerable victims, resilient survivors, or problematic young men flatten the complexity of their lives and risk producing responses that are misaligned with their needs. Drawing on qualitative research in Zimbabwe, including interviews, focus groups, and field observations, I bring Renos Papadopoulos’ (2021) Adversity Grid into dialogue with scholarship on masculinities, constrained agency, and institutional misrecognition. Findings show that boys occupy a condition of gendered liminality and are subject to a girl-centred triage, achieving only partial recognition through the figure of the “good migrant boy.” I develop the concepts of interpretive displacement and differentiated recognition to show how boys are seen but […]

  • ACMS SEMINAR: Growing Up Across Borders

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    Presenters: Prof. Jane Freedman and Dr Aron Hagos Tesfai Title: Growing Up Across Borders Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/3dwkccpp, Meeting ID: 957 8662 4514, Passcode: 012731 RSVP: Email ntokozo.yingwana@wits.ac.za Abstract: Growing Up Across Borders (GRABS) is a project at the Université Paris 8 that explores how migration, mobility, and urban life shape the health, wellbeing, and everyday experiences of young people across Southern Africa. Bringing together research, dialogue, and community engagement, the project focuses particularly on the ways mobile and migrant youth navigate access to healthcare, social support, education, and opportunities within contexts of inequality and precarity. By centring young people’s lived experiences across borders, the project aims to generate evidence that informs more inclusive policies, responsive health systems, and youth-centred approaches to social justice and development. About the presenters: Prof. Jane Freedman is the leader of the European Research Council (ERC) funded Growing Up Across Borders (GRABS) project. She is a professor at the Université Paris 8 and a member of the Paris Centre for Social and Political Research (CRESPPA). Her research has focused for many years […]

  • ACMS SEMINAR: Home Beyond Borders

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    Presenter: Dr Lydia Moyo Title: Home Beyond Borders: Belonging and Identity among Zimbabwean Venda-Speaking Migrants in South Africa Discussant: Dr Paddington Mutekwe Date: Wednesday, 27 May 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 (GMT+2) Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/3dwkccpp, Meeting ID: 957 8662 4514, Passcode: 012731 RSVP: Email ntokozo.yingwana@wits.ac.za Abstract: This article explores how Zimbabwean Venda-speaking migrants in Pretoria, South Africa, construct and negotiate meanings of home under conditions of prolonged and precarious migration. Drawing on qualitative data from 30 participants collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically using Atlas.ti, the study shows that home extends beyond a fixed geographical place to include emotional attachment, memory, cultural practice, and social relationships. Participants use embodied practices such as food and music to sustain belonging across borders while maintaining connections to Zimbabwe. Although migration was often initially viewed as temporary, prolonged residence fostered forms of rootedness in South Africa alongside enduring transnational ties. The article argues that homemaking among precarious migrants is both portable and spiritually anchored through everyday cultural reproduction, ancestry, land, and burial sites, contributing to debates on transnational belonging and identity. About the researcher/presenter: Lydia Moyo is a […]

  • ACMS SEMINAR: Hearing the City

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    Presenter: Dr Brian Murahwa Title: Hearing the City: Pentecostalism, Urban Soundscapes and the Politics of Audibility in Johannesburg's Inner City Discussant: Carina Tenewaa Kanbi Date: Wednesday, 17 June 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 (GMT+2) Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/3dwkccpp, Meeting ID: 957 8662 4514, Passcode: 012731 RSVP: Email Jaclyn.Modise@wits.ac.za Abstract: This article examines Johannesburg’s inner city as a complex auditory landscape where religious actors, informal economies, transport systems, and street life intersect, creating overlapping acoustic territories. Sound influences spatial order, social interactions, and belonging. Over the past two decades, the city has integrated new 'sounds' from Pentecostal Churches, whose growth has surged amid rising urban insecurity and uncertainty. The use of high-powered sound systems in Pentecostal churches has elicited mixed reactions – joyous for Pentecostals and an affront to other urban actors. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork, this article argues that the use of boisterous sound systems by Pentecostal Churches should not be dismissed as mere nuisances or ‘noise’, but rather, should be understood as forms of spatial production embedded within broader urban struggles over visibility, audibility, legitimacy, and survival. This study proposes ‘sonic justice’ as an alternative framework […]

  • ACMS SEMINAR: Why the Urban Matters in Understanding the Health of Migrants

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    SEMINAR: Why the Urban Matters in Understanding the Health of Migrants: Insights from a Border Space between South Africa and Zimbabwe Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) Zoom link: https://wits-za.zoom.us/j/96044551994?pwd=yYEIcJb9Y6LmftslUALYZdwwan928m.1 , Meeting ID: 96044551994, Passcode: e*-A@32O0s Dr. Fehmida Qaddus Rabbani (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, African Centre for Migration & Society) will present a hybrid seminar exploring how everyday urban conditions shape the health and well-being of South Asian migrants in Musina. a busy South African town on the border with Zimbabwe. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork and interviews with South Asian migrants, this paper highlights the important role of daily urban conditions, access to secure housing, work, safety, and social services, in shaping health outcomes. While migration and health research is often framed around healthcare systems and policies, this seminar argues that the health of migrants is deeply shaped by how they experience life in an urban border area, where many remain for extended periods rather than simply passing through. Abstract: This paper explores how everyday urban conditions shape the health and well-being of South Asian migrants. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork in Musina, a busy South African town on the border with Zimbabwe, […]

  • ACMS Seminar: Informal Governance from Below

    ACMS Seminar Room 2163, South East Wing, Second Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus

    SEMINAR: Informal Governance from Below: Hybrid Authority,  Legitimation, and Migration DATE: 16 September 2026 TIME: 12:30 - 13:30 (GMT+2) VENUE: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) and ONLINE (Meeting ID: 96111762177. Password: @jnG99yKA4) Dr. Balkissa Daouda Diallo (Postdoctoral Fellow, African Centre for Migration & Society) will present a hybrid seminar exploring how international migration politics shape regional and domestic mobility governance, informal governance, and the precarity of movement in Africa. Drawing on her research on African migrations and governance, this seminar examines the tension between constructed borders and the lived realities of those navigating them. It asks: How do borders, both formal and informal, shape the lives of migrants? And what does hybrid authority mean for governance, belonging, and survival? Abstract: This paper explores the tension between constructed borders and the lived realities of those navigating them in Africa. Drawing on research on African migrations and governance, it examines how international migration politics shape regional and domestic mobility governance, informal governance, and the precarity of movement. The paper argues that borders are not merely physical lines but are produced and reproduced through legal, political, and social processes that shape migrants' lives. Bio: […]

  • ACMS Seminar: Young migrants’ candidacy for sexual and reproductive health services in two urban communities in Zambia

    ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, University of the Witwatersrand

    INVITE: Young Migrants' Candidacy for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Two Urban Communities in Zambia Presenter: Melvin Simuyaba (PhD Candidate, African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University) DATE: 30 September 2026 TIME: 12:30 – 13:30 (GMT+2) VENUE: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) and Online (Meeting ID: 92528515079. Password: o_yjP42MH6) Abstract: This study describes mobile adolescents and young people's (mAYP) experiences accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in two urban communities in Zambia. Qualitative research data collected between September 2023 and June 2026 were used to understand how mAYP's eligibility for SRH services is negotiated using the seven stages of the candidacy framework. The study findings revealed that despite mAYP expressing a need for SRH services, factors such as communication barriers, documentation requirements, healthcare workers' attitudes, lack of essential medicines and lack of youth friendly services result in them not believing the services in public health facilities are intended for them. Improving mAYP's access to SRH services requires addressing structural and service level barriers responding to their unique needs. Bio: Melvin Simuyaba is a PhD candidate at the African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS), at the University of […]

  • ACMS Seminar: When the Compound Was the Classroom: Parenthood Without a Template in Nigeria’s Middle Belt

    ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, University of the Witwatersrand

    When the Compound Was the Classroom: Parenthood Without a Template in Nigeria's Middle Belt Presenter: Adetola Oyenubi (PhD Candidate, African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University) Date: Wednesday, 07 October 2026 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 (GMT+2) Venue: ACMS Seminar Room (2163), Solomon Mahlangu House (2nd floor), East Campus, Wits University (directions) and Online (Meeting ID: 96263184553. Password: *4ovg2LyFs) Abstract: In December 2023, coordinated attacks across Bokkos, Plateau State, killed hundreds and displaced thousands, leaving many caregivers to rebuild family life without the people who once taught them how. This presentation introduces the concept of "transmission breach" to highlight how displacement severs the everyday apprenticeship through which caregiving knowledge passes between generations. Drawing on fieldwork with twenty-five caregivers in Bokkos and one father's account of losing his wife and returning alone to an unrecognisable village, the study uses situated learning theory and feminist care theory to examine this rupture, alongside the anthropology of African childhood to consider what is lost when the relationships through which children learn to care are broken. Bio: Adetola Oyenubi is a PhD candidate at the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS), University of the Witwatersrand. Her doctoral research examines how caregiving is reconfigured and […]