On June 30, 2026, South African police maintained a strong presence across the country to prevent violence as an unofficial deadline imposed by activist groups for undocumented migrants to depart expired. While groups like the March and March movement, led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, claimed their protest for mass deportation would remain non-violent, thousands of foreign nationals have already fled due to fear of harassment and unemployment. Recent weeks saw the deaths of at least four individuals—two from Mozambique, one from Ethiopia, and one from Malawi—amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
Governments from several African nations have coordinated mass evacuations, with the Border Management Authority reporting that approximately 25,000 individuals have been repatriated recently. In cities like Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, migrants have sought refuge outside consulates or transportation hubs, citing evictions and job losses as primary reasons for their departure. While some citizens gathered in Soweto to demand that migrants leave, local officials, including KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, vowed to prevent a return to the widespread unrest seen during previous bouts of xenophobic violence.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has bolstered government efforts to address illegal immigration while urging regional leaders to maintain order. Analysts, such as Dale McKinley, argue that the current tension is a result of systemic governance and economic issues—specifically high unemployment—rather than the fault of migrants, and suggests the movement has been politically manipulated ahead of November’s local elections.
