In the news
On 27 June, said South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa stated that “There is no place for racism, sexism, tribalism, xenophobia, Afrophobia or any other form of intolerance.”
On 29 June, the leader of March and March declared that “We are not calling for violence … No one will be killed on 30 June, and no looting will take place in our name.”
On 30 June, ahead of the protests, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) stated that 25,000 people had been repatriated in recent weeks. Police were deployed across major cities, with protesters gathering in large numbers and foreign nationals camping near consulates and shelters for protection. 2000 protestors were reported to have marched through Durban.
On 01 July, the police stated there were 120 marches; 108 were peaceful, while 12 required police intervention, and 900 people were reportedly arrested for immigration violations, public violence, harbouring undocumented migrants, and robbery.
On 02 July, reports emerged that protests were largely peaceful, with isolated incidents of looting, vandalism, and violence.
Issues at large
1. South Africa’s recurring anti-immigrant violence
From 1998 to 2006, minor attacks against immigrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique were documented. In 2008, protests and riots that started in Alexandra spread to other provinces and cities, and reportedly led to the death of 62 people. Isolated incidents of violence were recorded from 2009 to 2014. In 2015 and 2019 protests turned into riots and involved attacks on migrants, looting, displacement, and deaths. 2021 saw the rise “Operation Dudula,” which operated a social media campaign demanding action on undocumented immigrants and organised a protest calling for their removal. The latest wave of protests seen around and after the deadline of 30 June, set by “March and March” group follow historic xenophobic sentiment and anti-immigrant violence and protests.
2. Internal troubles in South Africa’s neighbourhood
The 2022 census recorded more than 2.4 million international migrants (both documented and undocumented) in South Africa, roughly 3.9 per cent of the population. A 2025 report by the Department of Statistics on migration reveals that most immigrants, roughly 84 per cent, come from the Southern African Development Community (SADC); 80 percent of these migrants are estimated to come from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Malawi. Zimbabwe's inflation and underemployment since the early 2000s, Mozambique’s internal conflicts and insurgencies, Malawi’s recurrent droughts and fuel shortages, and Lesotho's economy dependent on remittances from South Africa demonstrate the economic, political, and environmental circumstances and motives that continue to drive immigration.
3. Immigrant inflow, South Africa’s economic stress and mobilisation by vigilante groups
According to the World Bank, South Africa’s GDP growth in 2025 stands at 1.11 percent, and according to Statistics South Africa, the official unemployment rate stands at 32.7 per cent, and youth unemployment at 46 per cent. A large part of South Africa is economically marginalised, while migrants who are willing to work for lower wages and in informal businesses.
“March and March” cites these economic challenges, the hiring of cheap foreign labour, and alleged strain on public healthcare and housing and alleged increased crime rates as the reasons for the unrest in South Africa and the deadline for migrants to leave the country. Unlike earlier protests that spread from local incidents, as seen in 2008, 2015, 2019, and 2021, the demands in 2021 organised by ‘Operation Dudula’ on social media and the current protests, specifically mobilised by a single deadline set for 30 June, mark a change in the way vigilante groups are defining the nature of the anti-immigrant sentiment.
4. Fractured government response
Historically, the South African government has treated flare-ups in xenophobic protests and violence delicately. In the last few years, South Africa has also attempted to tighten control by creating the Border Management Authority in 2023 and then releasing a white paper on citizenship, immigration, and refugee protection on 07 June this year, calling for workplace inspections, border technology, anti-corruption measures, asylum system reform, and regional diplomacy. While the government has responded against violence and anti-immigrant sentiment by arresting rioters, it continues to maintain its stance on removing undocumented immigrants.
In perspective
First, despite the protests, migration from neighbouring countries is unlikely to decrease. Historically, migration to South Africa has increased, despite the anti-immigrant and undocumented immigrant sentiments and significant violence and flare-ups.
Second, government action reflects domestic political pressure as much as migration concerns. The five-pillar approach launched by the government after intensified rhetoric surrounding undocumented immigrants and the 30 June deadline, as well as the 900 arrests made during the protests on 30 June, shows that government action has been reactionary.
Third, long-term stability will likely depend on solving economic grievances, clarifying the policy surrounding undocumented immigrants, and combating the decades-long xenophobic sentiment. Enforcement operations and repatriation drives may relieve pressure in the short term but leave unaddressed the structural challenges.
