AUTHOR=Shamase Londeka Zamankwali , Sekaja Lusanda 

TITLE=Mothering away from home: experiences of Zimbabwean domestic workers in South Africa

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sociology

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1607624

DOI=10.3389/fsoc.2025.1607624

ISSN=2297-7775

ABSTRACT=Many women leave their homes in Zimbabwe in the hopes of finding work in South Africa. In this study we investigated the experiences of Zimbabwean transnational mothers working as domestic workers in South Africa with a specific focus on how they navigate motherhood while separated from their children. We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the visitational, financial, and emotional aspects of their separation. We used thematic analysis to interpret the data, which revealed three key themes, namely, (a) infrequent homecoming shaped by structural barriers, (b) vulnerabilities and unseen challenges of children left behind, and (c) transnational mothering. The findings highlight the emotional tax and structural constraints of mothering across borders. The study calls for a more culturally grounded understanding of parenting, specifically transnational mothering.