Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Pretoria and Johannesburg on Tuesday in a coordinated protest against what organisers described as the ‘unsustainable influx’ of foreign nationals into South Africa. The marches, organised by civil society coalitions including Operation Dudula and the All Truck Drivers Foundation, drew participants from across the racial and economic spectrum.
Speakers at the rallies explicitly referenced British integration policies as a benchmark for South Africa to follow. ‘The United Kingdom has shown that a nation can welcome migrants while still protecting its own citizens and culture,’ said a representative from Operation Dudula from a stage in Pretoria. ‘They have points systems, language requirements, and a clear path to citizenship. We have chaos.’
The reference to British policy is striking given the UK’s own heated debates over immigration and integration. However, analysts note that the British system, particularly the post-Brexit points-based immigration regime, has been held up by several Commonwealth nations as a template for managing migration.
South Africa has experienced a sharp increase in migration from other African nations over the past decade. Official figures from Statistics South Africa suggest the foreign-born population has risen to over 4 million people, roughly 7% of the total. The government has struggled to provide housing, education, and healthcare in areas where migrants have concentrated, particularly in informal settlements.
‘The infrastructure is collapsing. We cannot absorb a million more people every year,’ said a protester in Johannesburg who identified himself as a community leader from Soweto. ‘We are not xenophobic. We are asking for order.’
The South African government condemned the protests. In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs acknowledged ‘legitimate concerns’ but warned against ‘the dangerous rhetoric of division’. President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at a trade summit in Cape Town, emphasised the country’s historical identity as a ‘rainbow nation’ and said migration policy would be reviewed only through ‘proper legislative channels’.
British immigration experts have expressed surprise at being held up as a model. ‘The UK system is far from perfect,’ said Dr Adele M. of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. ‘But it does offer a structured framework that contrasts with the more ad hoc approach in South Africa. The irony is that the British government is itself under constant pressure to tighten its borders.’
The protests come ahead of South Africa’s local elections scheduled for November, with migration expected to be a central issue. Smaller political parties, including the Patriotic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus, have already made anti-immigration rhetoric a mainstay of their campaigns.
There were no reports of violence at the rallies, which passed off largely peacefully. Police maintained a visible presence but did not intervene. The protests are expected to continue in other cities later this week, including Durban and Cape Town.
