OPINION | Why Chasing Foreigners Will Not Fix South Africa

What my conversations with migrants in England revealed about migration, belonging and Africa’s shared destiny.

There is a dangerous illusion taking root in South Africa—that a country can solve its problems by turning against foreigners. My recent visit to England reminded me just how false that belief is.

Migration is as old as humanity itself. People have always crossed borders in search of peace, opportunity, education, security and a better future. No amount of hatred, violence or political rhetoric has ever stopped people from moving. It never has, and it never will.

During my stay in England, I encountered people from every corner of the world. The driver who collected me from the airport was originally from Pakistan. At my hotel, I met two other foreigners working at the hotel—one from Russia and another from Pakistan. On the day I departed, my driver to the airport was a Ugandan.

Their stories were different, but they all carried a common theme.

Most had left their countries because economic or political circumstances had made life difficult. Yet despite having established themselves in England, many still spoke with affection about the countries they had left behind. Home, they told me, remained home.

One conversation, in particular, has stayed with me.

The Ugandan driver explained that he had lived outside his country for more than 20 years. His greatest wish was to return home permanently. But he admitted he was unsure whether he could safely rebuild his life under President Yoweri Museveni’s government. At the same time, he felt increasingly uncomfortable with some of the social changes taking place in England.

He believed the country was drifting away from its Christian foundations and expressed concern about the growing influence of other religions and other cultural shifts.

Whether one agrees with his views or not, they reflected the difficult reality many migrants face. They often find themselves caught between a homeland they miss and a host country that is itself changing.

These conversations reminded me of a simple truth: people rarely leave their homes because they want to. Most leave because circumstances compel them to. And even after decades abroad, many continue to dream of going back.

That is why the recurring attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa are not only tragic—they are profoundly misguided.

Driving fellow Africans out of South Africa will not create jobs. It will not reduce poverty. It will not fix inequality. It will not solve the country’s economic challenges. Those problems require sound governance, economic reforms and accountable leadership—not scapegoats.

The reality is that Africa has always depended on the movement of people, skills and investment across borders.

South Africa itself is a beneficiary of that history.

During the struggle against apartheid, countries across the continent opened their borders to South African exiles. Zambia, in particular, played an extraordinary role by hosting the headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC) in Lusaka for many years. Thousands of South Africans found safety, education and solidarity beyond their country’s borders when they needed it most.

Today, the relationship has come full circle. South African companies operate extensively throughout the continent. In Zambia, virtually every major shopping centre hosts South African retailers and businesses.

They employ thousands of Zambians, generate tax revenue and contribute to economic activity. That is precisely what free movement, regional cooperation and economic integration are meant to achieve.

If Africans can welcome South African businesses into their countries, surely South Africans can extend the same humanity to fellow Africans who come seeking honest work and a better life.

To those who have experienced discrimination or violence simply because they are foreigners, my appeal is this: never allow hatred to shape your response.

The Prophet Amos urges us to “seek good, and not evil… hate evil, love good, and establish justice” (Amos 5:14–15). The Apostle Paul echoes the same principle in Romans 12:21: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.“

These are not merely religious teachings. They are timeless principles for building peaceful societies.

Finally, this is a challenge to African leaders.

The generation that fought for Africa’s liberation believed in Pan-African solidarity. They understood that the continent would only prosper if Africans stood together. Their vision was one of unity, not division; cooperation, not exclusion.

Where is that leadership today?

Why do so many leaders remain silent when fellow Africans are attacked, humiliated or even killed because of their nationality?

Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality—it is complicity.

Africa’s future will not be secured by building walls between neighbours. It will be secured by building stronger institutions, stronger economies and stronger bonds between our people.

Our shared humanity demands nothing less.