Foreign-Owned Shops Targeted as Anti-Migrant Tensions Rise in South Africa

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]show you what it looks like inside the store. We just need to be careful about the broken glass. This shop used to sell mainly clothes as you can see from the many mannequins on the ground. It's been looted and vandalized one of several foreign-owned businesses that were targeted.

[00:00:17]Business owners say it happened quickly.

[00:00:20]After the first rock was thrown, it wasn't long before the violence started.

[00:00:24]>> Only foreign national shop they want to loot it, not local people, understand?

[00:00:29]So, we are uh not feeling uh safe here.

[00:00:32]No more safe here. Our business is not safe here in South Africa.

[00:00:37]>> South African cities have been experiencing an increase in social unrest as some locals blame crime and unemployment on undocumented migrants.

[00:00:46]>> It's just sad what South Africa has come to. I mean, grown people. First things first, South Africans work here. You understand? These people as we're damaging their shops, what about the South African people that work here?

[00:01:00]>> Provincial politicians had ordered foreign-owned shops to close until authorities check the immigration status of employers and their workers.

[00:01:10]When a court ordered those businesses to reopen, protests broke out.

[00:01:16]Anti-migrant groups want the government to tighten border security and take stronger action against undocumented foreigners.

[00:01:24]>> We want them to deport them, all of them those who don't have papers, to go back to their countries.

[00:01:30]>> Protest leaders have issued a deadline for all migrants without valid visas to leave the country by June the 30th. And that's leading to fears of more violence.

[00:01:43]Haru Mutasa, Al Jazeera, Escourt, South Africa.