Temporary labour migration: a process of wealth formation in the indigenous economies of Southern Africa

The critical development problem in Southern Africa is still the slow rate of economic growth of the indigenous economies."" The question is, why has the level of organization of economic activity in traditional agriculture, the major depository of African capital and labour, remained relatively unaffected by technological progress and market demand in the modern economy? The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of temporary labour migration on the economic organization of the indigenous economy in Southern Africa. In doing so, I shall point out that temporary labour migration has not had much of a modernizing effect on the indigenous economies, wage employment is mainly a means of attaining funds for investment in village activities and innovation can be effectively introduced into the indigenous economy only if it is attractive to the present property holders and has the endorsement of the community's leaders.