Xenophobia Backlash: How Attacks Hurt South Africans at Home

Xenophobia in South Africa now hurts locals too, as artists lose gigs and businesses face backlash across Africa.

South African artists and businesses hit by xenophobia backlash across Africa

Johannesburg — For years, xenophobic attacks in South Africa were framed as a problem for foreigners. Today, the cost is landing squarely on South Africans themselves.

The warning came directly from the top. At a media briefing on June 15, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi said a surge in attacks on foreign nationals is damaging the country’s global image and fuelling a backlash against South African businesses and artists abroad.

She was blunt. "Several South African artistes have begun losing performance opportunities across Africa due to concerns linked to xenophobia," the minister told reporters. Event organisers in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya are quietly cancelling shows, citing safety fears and public anger.

It is not just music. South African-owned businesses operating in other African countries are now experiencing challenges as negative perceptions about the country continue to grow. MTN Group has already sent a senior executive to meet officials in Ghana, while Standard Bank says it is closely monitoring developments across its African network.

Business groups say the danger is real. South African companies with operations across Africa are facing mounting pressure as anti-immigrant protests trigger diplomatic tensions. The groups warn that xenophobic violence threatens diplomatic and trade relations, and have urged government action to restore stability.

The economic hit is measurable. A recent study found xenophobia significantly reduces South African agricultural exports between 2010 and 2023, using standard economic models. Deputy Minister of Trade Nomalungelo Gina has warned that the violence will hinder trade and economic growth, not strengthen it.

At home, the destruction is also South African. According to Xenowatch at Wits University, xenophobic violence from 1994 to March 2024 has left 669 people dead, 5,310 shops looted, and 127,572 people displaced. Many of those shops were in townships where South Africans shop, work as cashiers, or rent out space. When they burn, jobs disappear overnight.

Ordinary citizens feel it in three ways.

First, income loss. When artists lose gigs abroad, the entire value chain suffers sound engineers, dancers, drivers and promoters in Johannesburg and Durban lose work. The government itself has acknowledged that artistes are having their shows cancelled across the continent.

Second, business retaliation. Calls to boycott Shoprite, MTN and other South African brands have grown louder in Nigeria and Ghana. When those firms lose revenue, they cut costs back home.

Third, reputation. Investors watch stability. A country seen as hostile to fellow Africans struggles to lead trade talks under AfCFTA. That means fewer factories, fewer exports, and higher unemployment for South Africans already facing a jobs crisis.

The government insists South Africa is not xenophobic, but admits the perception is hurting its people. Kubayi has called on communities to reject vigilantism and let immigration officials do their work through proper channels.

For many South Africans, the lesson is now clear. Attacks that start on a street corner in Springs or Durban do not end there. They travel as cancelled concerts in Accra, as closed stores in Lusaka, and as lost paychecks in Soweto.