By Alabi Williams

Last week, the June 30 deadline given by South Africans for immigrants from African countries to leave the country was marked with fierce protests across townships. It was a massive outing, a declaration that the people of that country were ready to sacrifice everything the continent might have hoped and worked for.

They killed and maimed to prove their point. They vandalised, looted businesses and markets operated by foreigners, as if there will not be another tomorrow. And it seemed they’ve won, while home governments lick their wounds and make efforts to evacuate their displaced and harassed nationals. The South Africans aren’t joking.

During the protracted battles to dismantle apartheid regimes in Southern Africa, Nigeria declared herself a frontline state. Similarly, Nigeria became a frontline victim of South Africa’s xenophobic assaults against Black Africa. History might have turned full circle, with lessons to learn. In 1960, at independence, the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa declared that Africa was the centerpiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy. Nigeria invested massively in Africa without expecting profits. But the losses are now monumental.

Official sources estimate between 8,900 and 30, 314 legally documented Nigerian nationals used to live in South Africa before xenophobia. Among them are students, professionals- academics, doctor and tech players. The Nigerian High Commission in that country, says around 500,000 undocumented Nigerians used to live in there. So far, around 1,125 have been brought home by the government. A batch of 271 arrived on Friday, July 3, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The implication is that a lot more Nigerians are waiting to be evacuated.

Similarly, around 16,000 to 25,000 Ghanaians were said to be in that country. About 700 of them have been successfully returned to Ghana. Zimbabweans, close neighbours to South Africa were not left out. Around 700,000 to 3 million Zimbabweans are said to live in South Africa. Many were not documented. Some enjoyed exemption permits, which having expired, they must return home or face violence. Their government has moved around 3,600 of its nationals by road.

In all, about 3 million foreign nationals from Africa and elsewhere have lived in South Africa and are around 5 per cent of that country’s estimated 64 million population. Over 60 per cent of those foreign nationals are from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, mainly from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.

Their justifications
Days after the deadline, and certain that most foreigners had fled, the mood in South Africa was celebratory. Reports showed owners of the country now settling to take over jobs that were vacated by foreigners. They’ve commenced screening certificates and CVs, to see who fits where and what. So easy.

Unemployment in that country hovers around 30 per cent. South Africans complained that foreigners were responsible for the lack of jobs. Like in other African countries, their youth population (aged 15-34) is around 21 million (33.1 per cent of the population). They’re getting restive and demanding answers why their country’s economy is struggling.

Poverty in that country is put at 23.2 million people (38 per cent of the population) living below a lower-bound poverty line of R1,300 per month. That’s $80.19.

Perhaps, South Africans got frightened by the data and needed to restructure to stave off a grim future. But the methods are rough and have no human face. Do they have to force foreigners (blacks) out to save jobs? They have applied xenophobia in bits to save jobs for the last 30 years or thereabout. Yet the economy has not turned around. Maybe it will this time.

The history of Xenophobia in South Africa dates back to 1994/95, when armed youths began to target foreign nationals, attacked their means of livelihood and destroyed their homes. In 2008, anti-immigrant violence widened in major townships with at least 62 persons killed.

Witwatersrand University’s Xenowatch reported that between 1994 and present, 698 deaths were recorded in repeated anti-foreigners’ protests; 5,310 shops were looted and 127,572 displacements occurred, mostly carried out against fellow blacks. The most recent episodes seemed like the final act, well organised and supported by a cross-section of the populace- politicians, youths, labour and ordinary people. It was a sea of human heads, and they had unkind words for their fellow Africans, particularly Nigeria.

South Africa has had a historical pull for migrant labour since the apartheid years. The records are that Whites employers in those days preferred hands from neighbouring countries to work in the mines. They were perhaps, less demanding and more amenable. Perhaps, xenophobia was only latent, until about three decades ago.

South Africa’s economy is among the continent’s five, a status that attracts immigrants from far and near. The country is rated as the most industrialised and diversified, with strong financial institutions, manufacturing and mining sectors. But despite that, the country’s microeconomics reports strains of weak growth and disappearing jobs.

In Q1 of 2026, about 80,000 jobs were lost and unemployment stood at over 32 per cent. There is poor infrastructure across sectors- electricity, water and rail. With debts soaring and canceling out investment, the squeeze is real, putting pressure on household budgets. These and other strains make the South African economy unable to absorb excesses from other countries.

The situation is particularly pathetic for other SADC countries that look up to South Africa for support as the biggest economy and main export market. Across the continent, countries are struggling economically. Many are entangled in debts and high borrowing costs. Donor support for SADC countries is crumbling. The countries do not have leverage to interpret xenophobia and respond in kind. Perhaps, they’re helpless.

Political support for xenophobia
For many countries, migration issues have become political. They have become campaign items that shape voting patterns. They decide policies and parties and politicians can no longer sit on the fence. This is likely the new realisation in South Africa.The ruling African National Congress (ANC)) has acquiesced to the mood in the townships.

The people don’t want foreigners. To gain votes, opposition parties are reported to suggest that government encourages influx of migrants. The government accuses the opposition of sponsoring the protests, but also supports it in migration policies that frustrate stay renewals, even for documented immigrants.

Responses across Africa
Across the continent, problems are the same: weak economies, heavy reliance on costly debts and stiff competition from industrialised countries, particularly China. The Africa Continental Free Trade to Agreement (AfCFTA) that was designed to make the continent operate one big market without barriers is still work in progress. AfCFTA appears to be good model but is hobbled by entrenched global interests and the failure of African governments to innovate.

They depend largely on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and China for repeated bailouts. Africa’s primary products are traded in global commodity markets with no leverage. The few that tend to make a headway are entangled in wars and conflicts.

Africa’s youth unemployment has reached crisis levels, with a bourgeoning youth population of around 212 million. Hundreds and thousands are just milling around. That is why migration has become an attractive option. They go wherever they’re told there are opportunities, including going to Russia/Ukraine to fight without any cause. They just desire to escape the grinding poverty at home.

The African Union is helpless. The vision to have a borderless continent and free movement of persons remains an agenda on paper, waiting for the year 2063. Meanwhile, new challenges of insecurity and protectionism are rearing their heads, frustrating efforts to mingle. It is almost like the unification vision of Africa’s founding fathers are petering out. African nationalism may be giving way to ethnic and country nationalism.

The story is told by an insider who teaches in that country that black South African students are now reluctant to share same classrooms with other black Africans. Whatever form of complex that is, it signposts a form of segregation that might be worse than apartheid itself. The development in that country will surely get other African countries working out ways to deal with the situation.

At the home in Nigeria, there is furry
Citizens are demanding that government responds in kind to South Africa’s xenophobic policies. They want government to nationalise investments of South Africa in Nigeria. How soon can that happen, for a government that is shopping for foreign investment all over the place? That might not be as straight forward. Besides, Nigerians own shares in companies linked to South Africa and do not want disruptions that will affect their investments. Maybe that’s selfish.

It is however government’s responsibility to decide what to do. When the Federal Government nationalised British Petroleum in 1979 to protests against UK’s support for the minority White South African government at the time, it was a great sacrifice.

For years, Nigeria refused to sell oil to the Pretorian regime at the time, risking potential loss of $41 billion in potential revenue. No amount is too much to invest in saving a brother. Nigeria has demonstrated love for different countries in Africa and did not make any demands in return. Maybe it’s time to preserve the country, particularly for the youths.

Let every African government and politician make their country’s survival the priority. When individual countries are stable, Africa will be stable and respected. Grapevine reports that individual Nigerians, particularly governors and lawmakers own vast estates and hospitality investments in South Africa. Maybe it’s time to repatriate such investments to create opportunities to make Nigerians stay at home.

It’s time for leaders to make this country what nature and God endowed it to be, a great country and the Big Brother in Africa. Nigeria is endowed with resources to make citizens proud and comfortable.

Enough of messing around with the fortune and future of Nigeria. Otherwise, one day, these young people will be as organised as those in South Africa, to demand good governance from leaders. There may be no place for ruiners of this country to hide when that day comes.