Talk Africa: What's driving South Africa's anti-immigrant tensions?

Editor's note: Talk Africa is a weekly talk show that brings together guests from across Africa and beyond to discuss pressing African issues and global topics, amplifying the continent's voice and showcasing diverse perspectives and independent thinking. This episode delves into the deep-rooted structural issues driving anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa.

For more than three decades after the end of apartheid, South Africa has continued to grapple with recurring outbreaks of anti-immigrant violence.

Critics argue the violence reflects deeper frustrations rooted in unemployment, inequality and governance failures, while others warn that migrants are increasingly being used as scapegoats for broader socio-economic problems.

The debate resurfaced sharply this year as protests against undocumented immigration spread across major South African cities.

Inequality and exclusion at its root

What began as localized demonstrations against undocumented migrants has rapidly spread to Johannesburg, Durban and other major cities, triggering clashes, business disruptions and renewed concerns over xenophobic violence, a term commonly used in South Africa to describe recurring attacks against foreign nationals, particularly African migrants.

The country has witnessed similar episodes before. Major outbreaks of xenophobic violence in 2008, 2015 and 2019 left dozens dead, displaced thousands and exposed deep social and economic tensions that remain unresolved today.

For Zanele Sabela, National Spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the violence cannot be separated from South Africa's history of exclusion and inequality.

She argues that contemporary frustrations cannot be understood without considering the legacy of colonialism and apartheid. 

"We've had about 350 years of oppression, and then we've had 30 years of what we call a democracy," Sabela said. “There is a big section of the population that still feels that they just don't have access to opportunities, and they carry the brunt of the inequality in this country.”

South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world. High unemployment, especially among the youth, has fueled growing frustration in many townships and informal settlements. According to Sabela, the situation is worsening as more South Africans feel economically marginalized despite promises made after 1994.

"We're sitting at 43.7 percent unemployment," she noted.

Against this backdrop, immigrants often become visible targets of public anger, particularly in the informal economy where competition for housing, jobs and small business opportunities is fierce.

Migrants are being scapegoated

South Africa remains one of Africa's most industrialized economies and has long attracted migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, the DRC, Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries seeking jobs, business opportunities or refuge from conflict.

Professor Alex van den Heever, a social security expert at the University of the Witwatersrand, rejected the argument that migrants are the root cause of South Africa's economic distress.

"The xenophobic type attacks have largely been politically inspired," he argued. "Foreigners become a very easy target because they are vulnerable and socially excluded."

Van den Heever warned that migration debates are increasingly being manipulated for political gain, similar to trends seen in Europe and the United States.

"People who immigrate to South Africa are not taking jobs from other people," he said. "Population movements tend to encourage economic development and growth, not hold it back."

Instead, he believes South Africa's real problem lies in poor governance, corruption and failed urban planning.

South Africa's migration policy

Not everyone agrees that anti-immigrant tensions can be explained solely by inequality, unemployment or political scapegoating. Others argue that shortcomings in South Africa's migration framework have also contributed to growing public resentment.

Professor Lesiba Teffo, Lecturer of Law at the University of South Africa and a member of South Africa's refugee appeals system, argued that South Africa's migration policies after apartheid were overly idealistic and disconnected from realities on the ground.

"South Africa must take responsibility for trying to be different," he said.

According to Teffo, South Africa failed to implement the stricter migration principles used elsewhere in the world, particularly the "first country of safety" approach, where asylum seekers are expected to seek refuge in the first safe country they enter. Teffo said many South Africans now believe constitutional and legal frameworks are no longer aligned with the pressures facing ordinary citizens.

"South Africa cannot be home to the whole continent, or to the whole world," he said.

He further argued that growing public frustration may eventually lead to constitutional reforms around immigration and social protections.

The unfinished promise of economic transformation

The country's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies, introduced after apartheid to address racial economic inequalities have also largely not attained what was intended.

Sabela defended BEE as an important tool for expanding opportunities for black South Africans, particularly women.

"If it wasn't for BEE, I wouldn't be sitting here speaking to you," she said.

However, critics argue the policy has largely benefited a small politically connected elite rather than broad sections of society. Teffo described BEE as "betrayed by the political elite," while Van den Heever called it "a veneer for an elite bargain."

"We need real policies that genuinely empower people to participate in the economy," Van den Heever said, warning that corruption and state capture have severely undermined public institutions and economic growth.

A continental challenge

Migration pressures are unlikely to disappear anytime soon across Africa. Economic instability, unemployment, conflict and governance failures across parts of Africa continue to drive migration toward stronger regional economies like South Africa.

The challenge now facing South Africa, is whether it can address public frustrations without fueling further division and violence.

For Van den Heever, the solution lies in stronger governance, regional cooperation and inclusive economic growth. 

Teffo, on the other hand, believes the country must rethink laws and policies that many citizens feel no longer reflect realities on the ground. And for Sabela, unless inequality and unemployment are tackled meaningfully, frustrations will continue to erupt.

Ultimately, South Africa's immigration debate reflects a broader continental question: how can African states balance Pan-African ideals of solidarity and ubuntu—an African philosophy centered on shared humanity, compassion and mutual care—with mounting economic pressures and social discontent at home?