HSRC data shows rising anti-immigrant sentiment

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]The Human Sciences Research Council has released recent public opinion data indicating a possible rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.

[00:00:09]Now, the study tracks changing attitudes towards foreign nationals from 2003 to 2025, highlighting how these views have shifted over time and the various pressures driving those changes. to unpack the findings and what's shaping public sentiment across different periods. We are now joined by Dr. Steven Gordon. He is the chief research specialist in the developmental capable and ethical state research division from the human sciences research council. He joins us now via our video link. And so thank you so much uh for your time this evening here in SABC news. I mean let's start off here. Uh let's look at this report and what does it say particularly looking at the attitudes of South Africans from 2003 until 2025 when it comes to their hostility uh towards foreign nationals.

[00:01:02]>> Absolutely. Thank you very much for inviting me to speak on this important topic. The Human Science Research Council has been conducting one of the best public opinion surveys in the country since 2003. the South African social attitudes survey. Now this survey asks South Africans whether they would welcome to our beautiful country all immigrants, some immigrants or no immigrants. Way back in 2003 when this question was asked, we found that people were pretty polarized and about a third said they would welcome all immigrants, about a third some immigrants, and about a third no immigrants. But in the last few years, we've seen a incline in negative sentiment towards international migrants and a downslide in positive sentiment towards international migrants. So the share of people who say they would welcome no immigrants to South Africa is currently 42%. The share who say they would welcome no immigrants 41%. and the she who say they welcome all immigrants is only 15%.

[00:02:11]What we've seen is a growth in anti-immigrant sentiment over time. Now this growth over time is concentrated in certain provinces and among certain groups in particular we've seen a growth in anti-immigrant sentiment amongst people from Khaoang Kzaden Limpopo and in Pomalanga. We've also seen a growth in anti-immigrant sentiment amongst the poor and the working class.

[00:02:42]Attitudes amongst those groups have become more and more negative over time.

[00:02:47]While the non-por more economically advantaged, their attitudes have remained flat over time. So it really seems to be that the situation around anti-immigrant sentiment, hostility towards immigrants is worsening in the last few years. In those years following the COVID pandemic, in this postcoavid recovery period we find ourselves in, there's a growing tendency to scapegoat immigrants and blame them for the country's social economic problems.

[00:03:25]>> And Dr. Gordon, what does the research say? What is the main cause of this uptick uh when it comes to the hostility towards immigrants? I mean you also touch on an issue there that socioeconomic problems may be an issue uh but maybe just give us an insight what does it really say about the trends >> so two big things have happened since the co pandemic so the one big thing that's happened over time is a rise in discontent with the status quo discontent with the economy discontent with democracy and how it's functioning.

[00:04:05]The second big thing that I'm sure we can all recognize over the last few years is the postcoid recovery has been somewhat unequal and we have seen de-industrialization and cost of living crisis and doggedly high crime and unemployment rates. And it would appear that increasingly the poor and the working class are blaming these problems on international migrants. Of course, there are many other factors involved as well. I would like to draw your attention to the upsurge in civil society organizations who've targeted international migrants in their activities and organized protests and events against international migrants stoking fear and resentment towards this group.

[00:04:57]These organizations have also played their part in the increase in anti-immigrant sentiment over time. H looking at this research and the recent comments we've seen from President Sul Raaposa saying that South Africans are not afrophobic or xenophobic um and what you seeing now what does it say uh about uh you know you know the attitudes of South Africans towards immigrants.

[00:05:26]President Rang Pa has taken a very courageous stance of calling for unity and brotherhood at this very difficult time. Not giving in to populist demography and encouraging South Africans to adopt a positive view to those immigrants from elsewhere in the African continent.

[00:05:50]What is very concerning about this upsurge in anti-immigrant sentiments is that we are going into elections at the end of this year, local government elections, elections that will no doubt be one of the most contested in the last 30 years. As we approach this important election date, there is a lot of concern that political parties will attempt to maintain power or gain power by playing a populist card, by stoking fear and resentment towards international migrants. And it's very important to try and hold back these populist impulses because they can only lead to social discohesion and societal problems at a time when we need to all come together as South Africans and work hard to solve our economic and social problems. M and before I let you go, how do we resolve uh this uh problem particularly a time where you are saying that we are going towards uh you know the local government elections and some political parties may use this as a political tool.

[00:06:59]>> South Africa has a national action plan which seeks to combat xenophobia, racism and related intolerance.

[00:07:08]This national action plan was implemented in 2019. Obviously the trends that we see suggest that the success that we hoped for when this plan was implemented have not come together.

[00:07:22]What we need is to revigorate the national action plan. Better resources, more effective strategies. There are many things that can be done which will deliver a meaningful change, a meaningful improvement and how we see each other. A reduction in intergroup tensions. Some of the most important things however that can be done is addressing the grievances of the poor and the working class around the economy around cost of living in a way that produces results for them and doesn't scapegoat immigrants which experts agree are not the cause of some of the problems that we see in our society like unemployment, crime or inflation.

[00:08:08]>> Dr. Gordon, thank you so much for your time. That's Dr. Steven Gordon, chief research specialist in the developmental capa capable and ethical state research division at the human sciences research council there talking to us about uh a very important research uh which the HSRC has conducted talking about immigrants. This