President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation, drawing a clear line between combating illegal immigration and hostility towards Africans. He emphasized that South Africans are not inherently xenophobic, but acknowledged that illegal migration places significant pressure on the labor market and public services.
The five-pillar strategy proposed by Ramaphosa includes strengthening controls, establishing specialized immigration courts, reinforcing border security, combating corruption within the Department of Internal Affairs, and developing continental cooperation. This policy is viewed not as an attempt to reject neighbors, but as a state's effort to manage its own borders, which is the right of any sovereign state.
Ramaphosa further noted that no economic grievances or public discontent justify mob action against another person, nor do they legitimize vigilantism. He unequivocally stated that only the state has the right to enforce immigration laws, not private citizens or self-defense groups. Recognizing the crisis and condemning violence do not contradict each other; rather, they represent the only honest intellectual position.
The article draws attention to the selective use of the term 'xenophobia.' Examples are provided where mass deportations, such as in Nigeria in 1983 (the 'Ghana Must Go' episode), were rarely covered by global media as an assessment of Nigerian character. Similar instances, such as Ghana acting against foreign traders, or the long-term deportations of Ethiopian workers by Saudi Arabia, received comparatively weak international resonance. Moreover, Italy's handling of migrants in Albania or large-scale US deportation operations are discussed as political measures, not manifestations of national bias, whereas analogous actions by South Africa are perceived as a moral crisis.
The silence of the continent itself is named a more alarming aspect. Tragedies in Tigray (Ethiopia), the civil war in Sudan, which caused the world's largest displacement crisis, and the M23 conflict in eastern DRC, which led to waves of killings and displacements in 2026, are mentioned. The ongoing fight by Nigeria against Boko Haram, banditry, and mass kidnappings is also noted. Despite these crises, the African Union has not suspended interaction with governments, and continental leaders have not been excluded from summits. Nevertheless, by formalizing and legalizing immigration control while simultaneously condemning vigilantism, South Africa risks becoming the continent's 'villain of the year.' This asymmetry is seen as a failure of continental accountability.
The author insists that the collapse of African economic and diplomatic cooperation cannot be allowed due to this issue. South Africa has already dispatched special envoys across the continent to explain its measures and engage with regional partners, as Ramaphosa stated that the country's future is inextricably linked to the continent's future. Cooperation within BRICS, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, regional security, and bilateral ties must not be sacrificed to a narrative that refuses to accept two truths simultaneously: the existence of a real structural migration crisis in South Africa and the fact that its neighbors are not enemies.
Foreign nationals were housed in camps near the Epping repatriation center in Cape Town because the closure of the facility left them without support.
South Africa has long ignored its border security. For over thirty years, the country has faced the problem of illegal immigration, forcing civil organizations to take responsibility for repatriating undocumented foreigners. This complex situation has led to criticism of South Africa at the continental level.
By law, only government officials have the authority to enforce immigration legislation. Nevertheless, many citizens take to the streets in protest, expressing dissatisfaction with what they perceive as a crisis caused by the presence of illegal immigrants. Although vandalism is condemned, critics argue that the South African government should be held accountable for its insufficient approach over many years.
It is estimated that more than three million undocumented immigrants reside in the country due to porous borders. The government may have had the resources to deport these individuals for years, but its efforts have been inadequate given the scale of the problem, which is exacerbated by allegations of corruption in the police and the Department of Home Affairs. Only recently is it being observed that the crisis is beginning to be addressed with due urgency.
Various nations have been forced to evacuate their citizens from South Africa under pressure from anti-immigration groups. While some countries struggle with their citizens stranded in transit camps, Ghana organized charter flights for the repatriation of its nationals. Furthermore, the West African nation advised its youth political groups to refrain from any retaliatory actions.
Recognizing the issue of illegal immigration, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Kwesi, recently called on African countries to support South Africa in resolving this crisis. There are approximately 200 South African businesses and registered companies operating in Ghana. Conflict over this issue is likely to cause both countries more economic damage than benefit.
Despite over 100 South African companies investing significant funds in Nigeria, the West African country threatened countermeasures against South Africans due to the consequences of immigration. Business proponents should not exchange their interests for human rights, but revenge is not the solution—much is at stake. It must be recognized that continued hostility will result in no winners.
In early 2026, South African investors invested about $1 billion in Nigeria. African governments must view the continental immigration crisis as a starting point, focusing collective efforts on finding solutions and determining necessary steps.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released its Quarterly Employment Statistics for March 2026 on Tuesday, revealing a decrease in overall employment. The total number of employed individuals fell by 80,000, representing a quarter-on-quarter reduction of 0.8%, moving from 10,548,000 in December 2025 to 10,468,000 in March 2026.
Stats SA specified that reductions were observed in the public services sector (a decrease of 53,000 people), trade (a drop of 40,000 people), transport (a fall of 3,000 people), and electricity generation (a reduction of 1,000 people). Meanwhile, some industries showed growth: manufacturing increased by 7,000 people, business services by 7,000 people, mining by 2,000 people, and construction by 1,000 people. Overall, the total decline in employment amounted to 121,000 people, corresponding to a year-on-year decrease of 1.1% between March 2025 and March 2026.
According to Stats SA, full-time employment decreased by 24,000 people, or 0.3% compared to the previous quarter, falling from 9,433,000 in December 2025 to 9,409,000 in March 2026. This decline was caused by reductions in the trade sector (-27,000), public services (-3,000), transport (-2,000), construction (-1,000), and manufacturing (-1,000), while the electricity generation sector remained unchanged. However, growth was noted in business services (an increase of 8,000 people, or 0.4%) and mining (an increase of 2,000 people, or 0.4%).
Part-time employment contracted by 56,000 people, which is a 5.0% drop quarter-on-quarter, decreasing from 1,115,000 in December 2025 to 1,059,000 in March 2026. The main reasons for this decline were cuts in public services (-50,000), trade (-13,000), business services (-1,000), transport (-1,000), and electricity generation (-1,000). Nevertheless, manufacturing showed an increase of 8,000 people (or 10.5%), and construction saw an increase of 2,000 people (or 3.4%).
The total income paid to employees decreased by 43.4 billion rand, equivalent to a 4.0% reduction compared to 1.08 trillion rand in December 2025, reaching 1.04 trillion rand in March 2026. This fall is linked to contractions in manufacturing, public services, trade, construction, electricity generation, and transport, although business services and mining recorded growth. Dr. Lerato Ntuli, an economist at Anchor Capital, noted that the latest QES data indicates a moderate deterioration in local labor market conditions in the first quarter of 2026, as overall employment fell to 10.468 million people (compared to 10.548 million in the fourth quarter of 2025), reflecting a 0.8% contraction.
Ntuli added that these losses were only partially offset by modest growth in more cyclical and externally supported sectors, such as manufacturing (+0.6% QoQ), business services (+0.3% QoQ), mining (+0.4%), and construction (+0.2% QoQ). It is projected that employment conditions in the second quarter of 2026 may be further weakened by the consequences of the Middle East conflict, which has pressured global demand and increased uncertainty. She concluded that the combination of this factor with already subdued domestic activity limits opportunities for significant job creation, reinforcing the perception of labor market fragility.
