The Rainbow Nation has an issue with its neighbors

On the outskirts of Durban this week, over a thousand immigrants fled their homes and set up a makeshift camp nearby after angry residents ordered them to leave, accusing them of taking jobs and economic opportunities from South Africans.

The migrants, mostly from Malawi, are among those fearing a wave of anti-immigrant violence gripping a nation once seen as a major hub of opportunity for those in Africa.

For more than a month, anti-immigrant demonstrations and attacks targeting foreign nationals from elsewhere in Africa have surged. Crowds have marched through urban areas outside Johannesburg and Durban, sometimes armed with sticks and knives, demanding that people show IDs or shut down their businesses.

At least five foreign nationals have been killed, while thousands, including those near Durban, have been displaced. The most vocal anti-immigrant movement, March and March, has issued a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country – a demand with no legal basis but one that has gained traction among demonstrators. The unrest has prompted countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Malawi to repatriate hundreds of their citizens.

But the unrest in Africa’s wealthiest nation stems from deeper problems. Citizens are growing increasingly frustrated with high unemployment, enduring inequality, and distrustful of the country’s long-running political parties. The ramifications could be widespread: the unrest threatens South Africa’s relationships with its neighbors and its carefully crafted reputation on the continent.

Why is anti-immigrant sentiment spreading? South Africa has long been a destination for migrants as the continent’s most industrialized economy. The country is home to more than 3 million migrants, nearly two-thirds of whom come from southern African countries, though the portion of them that are undocumented remains unclear. The share of residents who are foreign-born has also surged, doubling from 5% to 10% between 1996 and 2022, according to census data.

Meanwhile, the “Rainbow Nation” continues to grapple with deep-rooted economic issues. Unemployment stands at roughly 33%, among the highest rates in the world. Inequality remains stubborn and severe, with the World Bank ranking South Africa as the most economically unequal country.

Those pressures have fueled resentment toward migrants, who are often viewed as competitors for jobs and government services. Numerous waves of violence have rocked the country, dating back to 2008. That year, more than 60 people were killed in xenophobic attacks as Pretoria grappled with a recession triggered by the global financial crisis. Analysts say the current movement is particularly organized, aided in part by social media, which has helped mobilize protests and amplify anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Anti-immigrant sentiment has become more entrenched over the years. In 2008, 43% of South Africans said they would welcome all immigrants, according to a survey by the Human Sciences Research Council. By 2025, that figure had fallen to just 15%.

The fervor is finding a political outlet. Public confidence in political leaders to address economic and social concerns has slid over the years, thanks to corruption scandals that captured headlines. That frustration was on display in the 2024 general election, which saw the center-left African National Congress — a party that dominated South African politics for three decades — lose its outright majority.

Analysts say smaller political parties and activists have sought to capitalize on the unrest ahead of closely contested local elections in November, where the ANC is widely expected to struggle. ActionSA, a right-wing populist party, and disgraced former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party have both sought to align themselves with the demonstrations.

The ANC has attempted to walk a political tightrope. President Cyril Ramaphosa – facing impeachment proceedings over a cash-in-sofa scandal – has condemned vigilante attacks and warned against “lawlessness and violence,” while simultaneously promising a tougher response to undocumented immigration. But anti-immigrant fervor will likely remain a hot issue heading into November, as Ramaphosa’s assurances have done little to persuade protesters to abandon their campaign.

The backlash is becoming a foreign policy problem. The surge in anti-immigrant violence is already straining ties between Pretoria and its fellow African states, particularly countries whose citizens have been targeted. Ghana and Nigeria are considering legal action in international courts against South Africa to seek compensation for their citizens. The backlash isn’t entirely new: Malawi evacuated some of its citizens during xenophobic violence in 2015, as did Nigeria in 2019.

Yet South Africa has spent much of its post-apartheid era cultivating a reputation as a champion of human rights and African cooperation. That standing has given Pretoria significant influence within the African Union and on the world stage, including when it became the first African nation to host a World Cup in 2010, and the first to host a G20 summit last year. But recurring outbreaks of xenophobic violence threaten to chip away at that image over time and could make maintaining it unsustainable.

Ramaphosa, for his part, has gone on damage control. Last week, he announced plans to dispatch envoys across Africa and lay out a framework addressing undocumented immigration at an African Union summit next month. “South Africans are not xenophobic,” the president told reporters earlier this month. “South Africans are Africans. They want to live with other Africans peacefully.”

For now, Pretoria’s diplomatic outreach is being overshadowed by events at home as demonstrations remain heated. And as more governments arrange for their citizens to return home from South Africa, the country risks becoming known not as the destination that drew Africans in search of opportunity, but as the place they’re trying to escape.