Cities of Africa are now places of transit lifestyles associated
with the in-and outflow of formal wedged
workers, creating new socio-demographic spaces that
reshape the way families are structured and the relations
therein. This paper sets out to examine how the
quest for better wedges by working parents, alongside
other factors, has altered the form and functioning of
African families. A historical perspective is given on
the traditions and values that lie beneath African family
dynamics, for purposes of illustrating how gender
roles and societal expectations on parenting and socialisation
of children have been gradually reconfigured
by urban trans-migratory lifestyles. The concept
of transnational parenthood is applied as a reference
to permanent and temporary work-related movement
across borders while maintaining familial ties with
children and other relatives back home. The socioeconomic
consequences of transnational parenthood
are analysed together with the implications for immigration
policy and planning in Africa, using literature
and interview data generated from mobile professionals
in Kampala city, the capital of Uganda.