South Africa Faces Wave of Xenophobic Attacks and Protests

A series of coordinated anti-immigrant protests and xenophobic attacks swept through South Africa in late April 2026, targeting foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians and Ghanaians. The unrest, led by the group March and March with support from Operation Dudula and ActionSA, involved looting, property damage, and assaults in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Durban, Cape Town, and East London. These events culminated in mass demonstrations in Pretoria on April 28 and Johannesburg on April 29, where protesters demanded a migrant audit and mass deportations. The Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg confirmed the deaths of two Nigerian nationals killed by security personnel during the violence.

Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the attacks during his Freedom Day address in Bloemfontein, warning that legitimate concerns over illegal migration must not breed prejudice or lead to vigilantism. He asserted that the state is clamping down on illegal migration and businesses employing undocumented workers. Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia ordered the South African Police Service to apprehend and prosecute those inciting violence, while Deputy Minister Nonceba Mhlauli accepted a memorandum of demands from protesters at the Union Buildings.

International reactions were swift. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the criminal behavior, and the governments of Ghana and Nigeria issued urgent safety advisories, urging their citizens to close businesses and avoid public gatherings. Ghanaian officials sought presidential-level talks, while Nigerian leaders and observers, including Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, called for sanctions against South Africa, accusing the government of enabling the violence through inaction.