This thesis situates the discussion of poverty in Lesotho within the nexus of external labour markets, local economic forces and domestic social relations. Chapter I begins by overviewing the main socio-economic characteristics of Lesotho, where Lesotho's reliance on external labour markets and the characteristics of poverty will be introduced. Chapter 11 then discusses more detailed evidence on the relationship between poverty and migration. It is argued that migration cannot be adequately discussed without an analysis of the demand for migrant labour. Chapter III analyses the demand for labour in the South African agricultural sector, with particular reference to patterns of sectoral accumulation. Chapter IV proposes a survey that will provide useful insights into migration for farm employment. A group of Lesotho's poorest households, who work as farmlabour migrants, are identified and their sampling discussed. Using the results of this survey, Chapter V discusses the demand for migrant labour in the Free State Province of South Africa. It is argued that use of labour is influenced by the potential for workplace supervision and by the degree of worker-incentive. The factors that affect the supply of farm labour from Lesotho are then considered in Chapter VI. Implicit in this discussion is a reassessment of the division of resources and information-sharing within the household. The results of this chapter are incorporated in a more general discussion of poverty in Chapter VII, where it will be argued that many of the features of poverty and differentiation in Lesotho can neither be predicted nor analysed using the existing academic literature. Thus, it will be the work of Chapter VII to present an alternative analysis of poverty and differentiation in Lesotho. Finally, Chapter VI II will consider the conclusions of this discussion for poverty alleviation, including a brief evaluation of present government policy