Shocking sight in South Africa as thousands march to demand that foreigners leave the country

• Tensions rise in South Africa, as thousands take to the streets to demand that foreigners leave the country.

• The march comes after three foreign shop owners were shot dead in Johannesburg in what is believed to be a xenophobic attack.

• South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the agitators not to take the law into their own hands.

For weeks now, South Africa has been seeing an increase in anti-immigration agitations which target people from other African countries. The movement, which is now swelling in numbers, claims they want to take back their country from foreigners who are "engaging in crime" and "taking their jobs."

On April 29, 2026, it was the most shocking sight in Johannesburg, where thousands armed with sticks and some dressed in traditional garbs marched to demand that foreigners leave the country.

For weeks, social media has been filled with clips of anti-immigration groups who have targeted African immigrants, whom they accuse of engaging in crimes and "stealing their jobs". While leaders of the anti-immigration groups, such as Operation Dudula and Jacinta Ngobese, who is the organiser of the march, claim to be focused on kicking out illegal immigrants, clips have shown several legal Africans being harassed.

In one video, a Ghanaian was shown being harassed and told to leave the country despite presenting legal papers, while another showed a Nigerian trader being ordered to close his shop despite saying he has been in the country legally for 20 years and has children with his late South African wife.

Nigerians have been a major target of the protesters who accused them of crimes, seeking to dominate their host and also for sleeping with their women. In March 2026, Nigerian-owned businesses were targeted in violent protests that followed the alleged coronation of the Igbo King in the Eastern Cape province.

In a recent viral clip, a group of women demanded that South African women married to Nigerians should leave the country with their husbands and children.

There's now increase fear of the protests turning violent as two Nigerians were killed last week in the country. Earlier this week, three foreign shop owners were shot dead in Johannesburg in a xenophobic attack as tensions continue to escalate.

Reacting to the situation, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa told foreigners to respect the country and its laws while he admonished citizens not to take the law into their own hands. His admonition has, however, fallen on deaf ears, and the anti-immigration protesters continue to storm the streets and target African migrants.

The latest protest shows a sustained effort by the agitators who claim to be staging an attempt to reclaim their country.