South Africa’s latest wave of anti-migrant protests is no longer merely a domestic security crisis. It is rapidly becoming a diplomatic problem, placing pressure on Pretoria’s relationships with African governments and weakening its claim to be a champion of continental unity, writes Neelam Rahim.
Governments across West, East and Southern Africa have condemned attacks on their citizens, issued safety warnings, coordinated repatriations and demanded stronger protection for foreign nationals living in South Africa.
The scale of the response reflects growing frustration with repeated outbreaks of anti-migrant hostility in a country that has long presented itself as a leading voice for African solidarity, regional integration and Pan-African cooperation.
What began as protests demanding tougher immigration controls has increasingly drawn accusations of intimidation, forced removals and violence against African migrants. The unrest has left neighbouring and partner governments facing pressure from their own citizens to respond more firmly to South Africa.
Nigeria and Ghana intensify diplomatic pressure
Nigeria has delivered one of the strongest warnings. Following the deaths of two Nigerian nationals, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “all options remain on the table” should attacks on its citizens continue. The statement marked a significant escalation in diplomatic language and suggested that Abuja was prepared to reconsider aspects of its relationship with Pretoria if Nigerian citizens were not adequately protected.
Relations between the two countries have previously been tested by xenophobic violence in South Africa, with attacks on Nigerians prompting protests, diplomatic exchanges and retaliatory threats. The latest unrest risks reviving those tensions between two of Africa’s largest economies and most influential diplomatic powers.
Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in South Africa has been assisting affected citizens and those seeking to return home, while authorities in Abuja have questioned whether Pretoria is doing enough to prevent further attacks.
Ghana has also signalled that the unrest is affecting its engagement with South Africa.
Accra facilitated the return of a Ghanaian citizen who became the focus of a widely circulated video during the protests and raised its concerns through diplomatic channels. The political consequences became clearer when Ghana postponed a planned visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Explaining the decision, government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said: “We sent them a communication indicating that it would be best to defer the visit in view of the present climate around xenophobia.”
The postponement demonstrated how domestic hostility towards migrants can disrupt high-level diplomacy. Presidential visits are used to strengthen trade, investment and political cooperation, and delaying such an engagement sends a message that bilateral relations cannot continue as normal while Ghanaian nationals feel unsafe.
Repatriations spread across Southern Africa
In Malawi, thousands of citizens have sought help to return home, forcing the government to coordinate repatriation efforts with South African authorities. Officials have also advised Malawians who remain in the country to exercise caution.
The movement of large numbers of Malawians out of South Africa carries consequences beyond immediate safety concerns. Many migrants support families through remittances, while South Africa and Malawi maintain close economic, labour and political ties. Continued unrest could deepen public resentment towards South Africa and place further strain on relations between the two countries.
Mozambique has launched one of the largest evacuation operations, repatriating more than 1,300 citizens as fears of anti-migrant violence intensified.
The evacuation is particularly significant because South Africa and Mozambique share close historical, economic and security ties. Large numbers of Mozambicans work in South Africa, while the two countries cooperate on trade, border management and regional stability.
Repeated attacks on Mozambican nationals threaten to undermine that cooperation and fuel anger among communities that increasingly view South Africa as unsafe or hostile towards its neighbours.
Lesotho has similarly urged Basotho citizens to avoid protest hotspots. The country’s economy and workforce are deeply connected to South Africa, with thousands of Basotho crossing the border for employment, trade, education and healthcare.
Any sustained threat to their safety could place enormous pressure on relations between Pretoria and Maseru. Lesotho depends heavily on access to South Africa, but that dependence also means anti-migrant campaigns can quickly become a sensitive bilateral issue.
Zimbabwe, whose citizens make up one of the largest migrant communities in South Africa, has mobilised consular support and assisted those wishing to return home.
Relations between Pretoria and Harare are already shaped by disagreements over migration, border control and the treatment of undocumented Zimbabweans. Renewed hostility risks intensifying those tensions and making cooperation on immigration more difficult.
Kenya has meanwhile advised its citizens to remain vigilant, avoid protest areas and maintain contact with its diplomatic mission. Although fewer Kenyans live in South Africa than citizens from neighbouring countries, Nairobi’s warning adds to the impression that South Africa is becoming a risk for African travellers, professionals and migrants.
Pretoria’s continental credibility under strain
The widening diplomatic fallout places President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government in a difficult position.
Ramaphosa has repeatedly condemned vigilantism and stressed that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the state, not private citizens. His administration has insisted that crime and undocumented migration must be addressed through the law rather than through attacks on foreign nationals.
However, statements of condemnation may no longer be enough to reassure African governments.
Each new evacuation, travel warning or postponed diplomatic visit weakens confidence in South Africa’s ability to protect African citizens within its borders. It also damages Pretoria’s moral authority when speaking about African unity, free movement and continental cooperation.
Human rights organisations have warned that unemployment, poverty, crime and poor service delivery are being exploited to blame migrants for failures rooted in governance and economic inequality. They caution that portraying foreign nationals as the cause of South Africa’s social crises fuels discrimination and places vulnerable communities at risk.
The consequences extend far beyond the immediate victims of violence.
South African businesses operate across the continent, while the country relies on African markets, diplomatic partnerships and regional cooperation. Continued hostility towards migrants could provoke consumer boycotts, political retaliation, reduced investment cooperation and growing resistance to South African commercial interests elsewhere on the continent.
It may also undermine the African Continental Free Trade Area and other efforts to promote the movement of people, goods and services across borders.
A contradiction South Africa can no longer ignore
South Africa’s relationship with the rest of the continent has always carried a contradiction. It presents itself internationally as an advocate for African liberation and solidarity, yet African migrants within its borders repeatedly face exclusion, intimidation and violence.
The latest protests have brought that contradiction into sharper focus.
Pretoria must now do more than restore public order. It must demonstrate that those responsible for violence and intimidation will be held accountable, that immigration law will be enforced by the state rather than vigilante groups, and that African nationals can live and work in South Africa without fear.
Failure to do so will not only deepen the humanitarian crisis. It could cause lasting damage to South Africa’s relationships with its neighbours and weaken its influence across a continent that is increasingly demanding accountability.
