Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued an urgent appeal for continental cooperation on migration, as his government faces mounting pressure over a wave of anti-migrant violence that has driven more than 160,000 foreign nationals from the country in one of Africa's largest recent exoduses. Addressing the opening of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand on Monday, July 27, 2026, Ramaphosa acknowledged that South Africa had witnessed "outbreaks of anti-migrant sentiment and incidents of intimidation and violence directed at foreign nationals". He described the attacks as "sad and abhorrent" and declared that "we in South Africa deeply regret and mourn" the lives lost.
The South African leader's remarks come after weeks of anti-migrant protests, with fringe groups and activists accusing undocumented migrants of fuelling crime, worsening unemployment, and placing additional pressure on public services. Demonstrations that began last year over undocumented migrants' access to public health facilities intensified in 2026, with xenophobic groups demanding that all undocumented foreigners leave the country by June 30. The pressure prompted thousands of migrants to flock to consulates and community halls seeking transport home, many carrying only what they could grab. According to an AFP tally based on figures from repatriating governments, more than 160,000 foreign nationals have left South Africa over the past two months.
The largest numbers of returnees came from Zimbabwe and Malawi. Zimbabwe's cabinet reported that 108,366 of its citizens had returned home as of July 18, while Malawi announced that more than 46,890 citizens had returned since early June, with the government providing 699 buses for the long journey home. Six people died in transit. Hundreds more returned from countries including Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda. Nigeria has repatriated approximately 1,490 nationals, while Ghana has flown home at least 926. This marks the first time that anti-migrant threats have prompted several African governments to simultaneously organise coordinated voluntary repatriations for thousands of their citizens.
At least four migrants have been confirmed killed in the violence, though some foreign governments have reported higher death tolls. Nigeria has said two of its nationals were killed in "the ongoing xenophobic protests and attacks of migrants", while Ghana reported the death of one of its citizens in a Cape Town township. South African authorities have rejected both allegations, warning of disinformation being spread online. The violence has also prompted diplomatic tensions. Ghana's President John Mahama has called for an African Union debate to "formally address the escalating xenophobic attacks" on foreign nationals in South Africa, while two Ghanaian citizens have petitioned the International Criminal Court to investigate what they describe as "repeated xenophobic attacks", a move Pretoria has dismissed as "opportunistic".
In his address to the Pan-African Parliament, Ramaphosa stressed that migration is a shared continental challenge that cannot be tackled by individual countries alone. He warned that poorly managed cross-border migration could undermine security and social order. "As African countries, we have to acknowledge and address the conditions that drive migration in the first place," he said. "We need to work together to address issues like conflict, instability, governance failures, poverty and social discord". He called on the continent to "silence the guns, strengthen inclusive governance, and expand economic opportunities". Ramaphosa also acknowledged that some of the anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa stems from genuine concerns among South Africans over the social and economic impact of illegal migration.
The South African president reaffirmed that his government has "taken a firm stance against any form of intimidation, vigilantism, or violence directed at foreign nationals". He said the response must combine "firm, fair, and effective immigration management with an unwavering defense of human dignity and the rule of law". South Africa has also taken steps to strengthen and enforce its immigration laws, diffuse tension, and ensure that all persons within the country's borders respect the rights of all. Ramaphosa distinguished between lawful migrants and illegal immigration while rejecting violence and xenophobia, warning that "migrants should not be made scapegoats for unemployment, crime or shortcomings in the delivery of public services".
The crisis has exposed deep fault lines in South Africa's relationship with its African neighbours. Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, has been particularly vocal. Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye told South African officials that Nigeria has "noticed a pattern" in the attacks that has "raised the issue of state responsibility" and "complicity", noting that in many cases, South African police have stood by as angry mobs attacked Nigerians and their businesses. He disclosed that from 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians had died in mob actions and hate-related attacks. President Bola Tinubu declined to personally receive a South African delegation sent by Ramaphosa, directing them instead to meet with a junior minister.
Analysts have noted that while South Africa has experienced repeated waves of xenophobic violence over the past two decades, this is the first time that such threats have prompted coordinated repatriations on this scale. In 2008, 62 people were killed in anti-immigrant riots, and further outbreaks followed in 2015, 2016, and 2019. However, the current crisis has triggered a continental backlash that has seen Nigeria and Ghana, among others, demand that the issue of "Afrophobia" be discussed at the next African Union summit. South Africa, the continent's most industrialised economy, remains a magnet for documented and undocumented African workers seeking opportunities they cannot find at home. Yet with unemployment above 30 per cent and massive failures in the delivery of basic services, tensions are unlikely to ease without sustained action on both migration management and the underlying drivers of poverty and inequality. For Ramaphosa, the message to the continent is clear: South Africa cannot solve this crisis alone, but neither can it afford to ignore the human cost of its failure to do so.
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