South Africa xenophobia: weekly anti-migrant marches drive Nigerians and Mozambicans to flee

A renewed wave of anti-immigrant mobilisation in South Africa has spilled into vigilante violence in recent weeks, prompting several African governments to repatriate their citizens and drawing condemnation from the United Nations, the African Union and human-rights groups.

Human Rights Watch reported in May that vigilantes had carried out violent attacks targeting African and Asian foreign nationals, in some cases fatally, with what it described as an insufficient response from police and other authorities.

Much of the recent organising has come from a citizen-led movement known as March and March, which campaigns for stricter immigration enforcement. On 1 July, its leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma announced that supporters would march every Thursday until the government removed undocumented immigrants, saying the campaign would run for six months. The first of the weekly protests were held on 9 July in areas including Alexandra, Soweto and Durban.

The movement has drawn support from other anti-immigration groups, including Operation Dudula, and from factions linked to parties such as ActionSA and the Patriotic Alliance, according to reporting on the protests. Their demands include mass deportations and a tougher crackdown on immigration, blaming foreigners for unemployment, crime and strain on public services.

Analysts and rights groups reject that framing. They argue South Africa's high unemployment and pressured services stem from deep structural problems, and warn that scapegoating migrants fuels violence without addressing the underlying causes.

The courts have already intervened against some tactics. In November 2025, the South Gauteng High Court granted an injunction barring Operation Dudula supporters from blocking migrants' access to healthcare facilities.

The human cost is now visible in cross-border movement. Nigeria's government has said at least 130 of its citizens requested repatriation, and authorities in Mozambique have acknowledged that thousands of Mozambicans have already returned home, citing the climate of insecurity. Ghana has also begun bringing its nationals back.

The unrest has strained South Africa's diplomatic ties across the continent. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights issued a statement deploring the attacks and vigilante conduct against nationals of other African countries.

South Africa has experienced periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence for years, and the events of 2026 have revived a long-running debate over how Africa's most industrialised economy treats the migrants who live and work within its borders.

For the families now weighing whether to stay or leave, the immediate question is safety — and whether the authorities will move to protect them.