South African Vigilante Groups Target Migrants Amid Economic Hardship

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South African Vigilante Groups Target Migrants Amid Economic Hardship

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South Africa is experiencing a significant rise in anti-immigrant sentiment and actions by vigilante groups, particularly since 2021. This surge is fueled by the country’s deteriorating socioeconomic conditions, including an unemployment rate exceeding 43% in 2026. These groups often scapegoat foreign nationals for economic woes, poor service delivery, and high crime rates, despite studies that contradict these claims.

One prominent group, Operation Dudula (meaning “force out” in Zulu), emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, in 2021 and has since expanded nationwide. Initially gaining attention for defending Maponya Mall during the July 2021 unrest, the group’s activities include organizing demonstrations against undocumented migrants, forcibly closing businesses, raiding properties, and attempting to block foreign nationals from accessing healthcare and education facilities. Operation Dudula, now a registered political party, denies xenophobic motives, stating its campaign addresses crime, lack of jobs, and poor health services attributed to an “influx of illegal immigrants.”

The rise of these groups has led to violent attacks targeting African and Asian foreign nationals. For instance, in April 2022, a Zimbabwean father of four, Elvis Nyathi, was tragically killed in Johannesburg’s Diepsloot township after failing to produce identification. Human Rights Watch reported in May 2026 on violent xenophobic attacks by vigilantes, with little apparent response from authorities. Amnesty International in March 2022 also criticized the lack of action taken by authorities against vigilante groups, leading to impunity and continued human rights violations.

The hostility is not new to South Africa, with significant xenophobic violence recorded in 2008, 2015, and 2019. A 2018 Pew Research poll indicated that 62% of South Africans held negative views about foreign nationals, believing they burden society and contribute to crime. The Human Sciences Research Council’s 2025 Social Attitudes Survey revealed that 42% of adults would “welcome no immigrants,” the highest level since measurements began in 2003. This increasing prevalence of anti-immigrant sentiment is particularly pronounced among poorer and working-class adults in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and Limpopo. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2025 urged South Africa’s high courts to uphold international law in protecting migrants and refugees from discrimination and xenophobic violence.

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