Throughout the first half of 2026, anti-immigration sentiments have been developing within the country. Many South Africans place the blame on illegal immigrants for a lot of the country’s shortcomings – particularly crime, unemployment rates, and overcrowding in the health and education sector. Tensions came to a head on 30 June when the deadline, which was declared by anti-immigration groups, approached for foreign nationals to return to their home countries. On this day, thousands of frustrated South Africans marched throughout the country in what were supposed to be peaceful protests, urging foreign nationals to return to their home countries. Proponents of the anti-immigration movement have also called for the government to become more pro-active in resolving the alleged crisis of illegal immigration.
One of the most prominent figures influencing the rise of the anti-immigration movement within the country is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader and founder of the March and March movement. According to their website, March and March is a citizen-led organisation that advocates for stronger immigration enforcement within South Africa and is largely concerned with issues of employment competition and access to public services. In the weeks leading up to the protests, Ngobese-Zuma has reiterated her stance on undocumented immigrants. In several interviews, she claimed that undocumented foreign nationals are responsible for the infiltration of drugs within South African communities, as well as overcrowded healthcare facilities. She also alleged that South African parents are unable to secure spots in schools for their children due to space being taken up by the children of illegal immigrants. In an interview with IOL, she explained that March and March wants undocumented immigrants to return to their home countries so that the country’s limited resources can benefit poor and vulnerable South African citizens.
During a March and March media briefing in May, Ngobese-Zuma claimed that the organisation acts as a “voice for the voiceless”, specifying that March and March speaks out for victims of crimes perpetrated by foreign nationals. She goes on to urge the government to act against supposed Nigerian drug lords operating within the country, as well as cartels allegedly run by Somalians, Pakistanis, and Ethiopians, detailing the existence of “spaza shop mafias” within local communities.
Additionally, Ngobese-Zuma said that South Africa is being “invaded” and that locals have become “refugees in their own country”, going as far as to demand that a state of emergency be declared to combat this supposed invasion. She also claimed that a majority of foreign nationals within the country are not real refugees. Instead, she described them as economic migrants that seek to abuse South Africa’s laws, claiming that they have overrun the informal economy and colluded with Home Affairs officials to create fraudulent documents that allow more illegal immigrants into the country.
She placed emphasis on the supposed abundance of foreign nationals operating within the economy, claiming that the township economy has been “hijacked” by Somalians, Pakistanis, and Ethiopians. Ngobese-Zuma claimed that in Durban, over 340 permits have been awarded to foreign nationals, allowing them to operate their businesses within the CBD. She also said that lower income jobs, particularly food delivery drivers, should be reserved for South Africans and that foreign nationals should not be permitted to take up such jobs.
Regarding the reservation of jobs, she demanded that legislation be passed to bar foreign nationals from participating within the township economy, demanding that only South African small businesses be allowed to. Finally, she called for stricter border control and the mass deportation of all illegal immigrants, saying that said immigrants must be forced to pay for their own deportation to discourage them from returning. She concluded by reiterating that March and March’s demands must be met by 30 June.
Another notable figure within the realm of anti-immigration is Nkosikhona “Phakel’umthakathi” Ndabandaba, a traditional leader and staunch supporter and member of March and March. Ndabandaba is responsible for leading many marches throughout Durban, Pretoria, and Johannesburg, and he is often steeped in controversy, coming across as less diplomatic than Ngobese-Zuma. Throughout several interviews, Ndabandaba has reiterated the peaceful nature of the movement, detailing that the call to remove illegal immigrants is not a call to violence.
However, it should be noted that footage exists that captures Ndabandaba slapping an adult man during a protest. When confronted with the footage during an interview with Eyewitness News, Ndabandaba claimed that the footage is AI generated. Additionally, Ndabandaba faced criticism for leading a crowd that was chanting a song that translates to “Shangaan person, get out of the way”. “Shangaan” refers to an ethnic group largely found within South Africa and its neighbouring countries. Oftentimes, the term is also used to refer to those belonging to the Tsonga ethnic group. This chant raised concerns over the tribalistic undertones of Ndabandaba’s activism and March and March as a whole. When confronted about this, Ndabandaba said that Shangaan is not an insult and that people should stop being sensitive about it.
In the build-up to the 30 June deadline, tensions rose. The frequency of protests increased and various reports were lodged regarding some protesters going door-to-door demanding immigration documents and forcibly removing immigrants from their homes. Within Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg, protesters were seen breaking into homes where they believed undocumented foreigners had resided. Once found, the alleged illegal immigrants were taken to nearby police vans and driven away. This included a woman and small child from Malawi. Total Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean national, was “arrested” by protesters despite being in the country legally. Protesters had also taken it upon themselves to conduct inspections within local businesses, visiting factories where foreign nationals were employed and forcing spaza shops owned by foreign nationals to close. Furthermore, meetings with managers of nearby businesses were held, urging them to prioritise hiring South African citizens over foreign nationals.
Several assaults took place during a march through Alexandra where residents had broken into homes and interrogated street vendors. One man was allegedly beaten until he started bleeding. A woman selling food alongside her daughter was harassed as marchers determined that she was foreign based on her accent. They subsequently tore her stall down, threw her pots on the pavement, confiscated her table, and warned her not to return.
The violence continued as a man’s house was broken into after he was heard speaking Xitsonga by protesters. Morris Musa Mukhari, originally from Limpopo, was harassed and assaulted by protesters who demanded to see his identity documents to prove his citizenship. He said that his wife and child were also intimidated by protesters.
Similar violent events took place throughout the country leading up to the deadline. Both Ngobese-Zuma and Ndabandaba separated themselves from the perpetrators of these violent attacks, with Ngobese-Zuma explaining that these are vigilantes who are not associated with March and March, and Ndabandaba dubbing the looters as opportunists.
In an address on 7 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the rising tensions surrounding immigration throughout the country. The President warned against using immigrants as a scapegoat for the country’s problems and urged citizens to not take the law into their own hands. He acknowledged many of the frustrations surrounding the country’s economy and took cognisance of the fact that illegal immigration is still a problem that the government must undertake and resolve. Throughout the address, he emphasised the democratic basis of South Africa and promoted the welcoming of immigrants as the world becomes more globalised. He cited the constitutional principle of Ubuntu as a reason to welcome foreign nationals from different countries.
On 30 June, anti-immigration supporters mobilised throughout the country. Thousands of South Africans marched through the streets of the country’s major cities and smaller metropolitan areas. The marches remained largely peaceful, although there were incidents of looting and property damage, with several arrests taking place. Many small shops throughout the country had closed for the day, many had taken off work, and public transport had been limited. The police that were deployed for the protests had been able to largely keep the peace. One notable incident took place in Germiston in which protesters broke into a Tsonga family’s home. One of the daughters detail that protesters had called her father “ïKwerekwere”, a derogatory term used to refer to foreign nationals. She reported that her father was taken to a police van by protesters. When she exclaimed that her father was not a foreign national, protesters allegedly responded, “We don’t care, he is Tsonga.” She explained that there was substantial property damage to her home and that her sister was forcibly removed from the shower while she was naked.
As the marches calmed down, Ngobese-Zuma said that this was only the beginning, claiming that protests would take place every Thursday until undocumented immigrants are gone.
The growing sentiment around anti-immigration raises questions regarding whether South Africans are truly fighting the right enemy. Despite claims that the pushback is simply against undocumented foreigners and criminals, continuous violence has been perpetrated against individuals that simply appear foreign, regardless of whether they are legal citizens or not. Although anti-immigrant proponents deny allegations of xenophobia and Afrophobia, many immigrants find themselves treated as criminals long before proof of documentation is requested.
