The Anatomy of Intolerance: How Xenophobia, Afrophobia, and Nationalism Converge in South Africa

An honest conversation about what is happening in South Africa must be held, and a conclusion must be drawn on whether South Africa is xenophobic, afrophobic, or rather nationalistic.

A high-profile individual, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, who is a former radio presenter, is the founder of “March and March”, a citizen-led movement that has been behind the current escalation of anti-immigrant protests in South Africa. Before March and March, there was another group that was very prominent called Operation Dudula. The group has been successful in cultivating anti-immigrant sentiments in South Africa.

A 30 June deadline was given to illegal immigrants to leave the country, which led to a massive immigrant departure in South Africa that continued even after the deadline. The March and March protests have been characterized by the indiscriminate targeting of foreigners; even documented migrants were told to leave. Systematic blockades were the order of the day, as migrants were barred from accessing healthcare and education at public institutions.

The movement has actively raided homes and businesses, physically evicting foreigners. On many occasions, suspected migrants would be stopped while going about their own business and would be asked to produce documents to prove they were South African.

The question is whether all that is happening, and has happened, is xenophobia, afrophobia, or nationalism.

It looks like Afrophobia

One of the common discourses online among Africans is that what is happening in South Africa is afrophobia. This is because the protests have disproportionately affected African migrants in South Africa. However, there is a reason for that. Anti-migrant protests, on their own, disproportionately affect the poor in society. It is the poorest who are fighting for crumbs. For a long time, migrants from across Africa and South Asia have settled in South Africa and have benefited from informal jobs and businesses. They have benefitted from sectors of the economy that South Africans felt were supposed to be reserved for them.

In the year 2026, South Africa was estimated to be the biggest economy in Africa by the IMF. South Africa is also the most industrialised country in Africa and the sixth richest country by GDP per capita. It is one of the few countries in Africa that are classified as upper-middle-income by the World Bank. This means that South Africa has the highest-quality and highest-paying jobs that even rival some high-income countries. For comparison, the entry-level salary for a Zimbabwean civil servant is $350, $50 for Nigeria, and $700 for South Africa. It makes sense why most Africans would try to live in South Africa.

Africans from poorer countries realized that they could work a menial job in South Africa, and the income would be higher than that of professionals back home. The anti-migrant protests cannot just affect Europeans, Americans, and East Asians, who are generally net positive contributors to the South African economy and are viewed as investors. Most stay in middle-income areas where protests would not dare reach.

Sense of Nationalism

When anti-migrant sentiments rose in South Africa in 2025 and 2026, one of the discourses by Operation Dudula was that of nationalism. They always stressed putting South Africans first. The argument was that South Africa cannot employ foreign workers when youth unemployment is 61% and the jobs the foreign workers are doing are not covered in the critical skills segment.

The talking points were not only about jobs but also culture. South Africans argued that the culture of migrants was incompatible with South African standards. Migrants were blamed for dirty towns, crime, and failing infrastructure.

Though the argument seemed strong, factually, the failure of South Africa has more to do with a stagnating economy. In 2011, the GDP of South Africa was $458 billion compared to $427 billion in 2025 according to the World Bank. A booming economy once known for fulfilling people’s dreams is now a stagnant, middle-income-trapped economy. The South African economy has failed to produce high-value goods and reduce inequality.

Xenophobia, the Common Song Sung

South Africa has shown xenophobia for a long time now. African migrants have been demeaned, insulted, and even killed just because they were foreigners. South Africa is one of the few countries with a slur for other Africans called “makwerekwere”. One of the online discourses on social media by South Africans has been the constant insulting of Nigerians or Zimbabweans online. Sometimes, you would hear certain circles of South Africans calling Zimbabweans “Zimbaboons” online. Some simply showed contempt and disgust towards other Africans.

To fully understand how deep the xenophobia runs, you have to understand that, at one time, a Minister of Finance’s son was profiled by the police after they thought that he was a foreigner. Stereotyping and profiling of Africans has been the order of the day in South Africa. In 2013, SAPS wrongfully detained Tito Mboweni’s son in Sandton after racially profiling him as an illegal foreigner, prompting the former minister to publicly blast the police for xenophobia.

So, what is it?

All things considered, it can be concluded that what is happening in South Africa is not only xenophobia but also nationalism, and it satisfies the definition of afrophobia.