No plaster can heal South Africa's anti-immigration wound

South Africa's recent anti-immigration marches, and the fear and violence that followed, have damaged the country's standing across Africa and beyond, write Solly Moeng and Tshepo Matseba. They argue this isn't a communications problem to be spun away, but a governance one: the state must reassert control over immigration enforcement, crack down on the corruption enabling illegal migration, and reject vigilantism, while still upholding citizens' right to secure borders. With Nigeria reportedly documenting losses for possible diplomatic compensation claims, the authors set out a five-point path forward — from continental diplomacy to domestic accountability — arguing South Africa must enforce its laws without abandoning its humanity..By Solly Moeng* and Tshepo Matseba*.South Africa's reputation across Africa and beyond has suffered yet another serious blow. The recent anti-immigration marches, together with the fear, displacement and sporadic violence that followed, have once again projected the image of a country struggling not only to manage its borders, but also to uphold the constitutional values on which its democracy was built.This damage is not abstract. It is reputational, diplomatic, economic and deeply human. It shapes how South Africa is viewed by fellow African nations, investors, tourists, students and every foreign national who once regarded the country as a beacon of opportunity, constitutionalism and democratic promise.That is why this moment demands honesty rather than spin. This is not a problem that can be "PR-ed" away. It is not a matter of changing a slogan, refining the messaging or appointing a more agile spokesperson or envoys. Trying to solve this crisis through cosmetic communications would be like placing a plaster over an infected wound. The appearance may seem to improve temporarily, but the infection continues to spread beneath the surface until the damage becomes impossible to ignore.South Africans are not wrong to demand that government secures the country's borders, enforces immigration laws and acts decisively against illegality. A sovereign state cannot function amid open-ended disorder. No serious country can sustain unlimited illegal immigration, particularly against the backdrop of high unemployment, weak service delivery, overstretched public infrastructure and growing social frustration. Legal immigration is part of a healthy modern state. Illegal immigration is not.That distinction matters. It is both possible and necessary to state, without apology, that South Africa must uphold its immigration laws. Foreign nationals who come to South Africa have a duty to respect those laws, just as citizens are expected to do. There should be no moral ambiguity about that. A lawful immigration system protects everyone: citizens, documented migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and legitimate businesses alike. When the rule of law collapses, the vacuum is inevitably filled by criminal syndicates, traffickers, corrupt officials and vigilantes.Equally important, however, is another distinction. Anger over illegal immigration can never become a licence for cruelty, mob intimidation or collective punishment. Human dignity is not suspended because public frustration is high. The legitimate demand for effective border control does not confer the right to humiliate, assault, threaten or dehumanise others. South Africans, particularly in moments of justified anger at state failure, must resist the temptation to scapegoat vulnerable individuals for the incompetence and corruption of the institutions responsible for enforcing the law.It is precisely here that South Africa's reputational damage has deepened. Across the continent and the African diaspora around the world, many do not see a nuanced domestic debate about legality versus illegality. They see images of foreign nationals being targeted, businesses threatened or looted, people driven from their homes and communities living in fear. They see a country whose constitutional values appear selectively defended.Whether every perception is entirely fair is now almost beside the point. Reputation is shaped less by intention than by what people consistently see, experience and believe. When repeated images reinforce an existing narrative, perception hardens into accepted reality. The consequences are already becoming visible. The anger is no longer confined to those who have left South Africa. It now reverberates across the African continent, where governments and citizens alike are asking how a nation that once symbolised continental solidarity and African potential could experience repeated waves of anti-foreigner mobilisation.Nigerian authorities are reported to have begun documenting businesses, homes, and other assets reportedly abandoned by Nigerians who fled South Africa, seemingly intending to pursue compensation through diplomatic channels for losses suffered by their citizens. It is immaterial that this will go far or not, but it illustrates the depth of the diplomatic and reputational damage already inflicted on South Africa’s image. It reflects a serious erosion of trust between South Africa and some of its closest continental partners.This is why references to Ubuntu ring are increasingly hollow when state weakness coexists with public vigilantism. South Africa cannot market itself as the gateway to Africa, the champion of Pan-African solidarity and the home of one of the world's most progressive constitutions while images of intimidation and hostility towards foreign nationals continue to circulate globally.Reputation is not built through glossy brochures, speeches or branding campaigns. It is earned through conduct, reinforced by consistent policy and sustained through visible accountability. If South Africa is to restore confidence, the first requirement is credible law enforcement. The state must reassert its monopoly over lawful enforcement. No vigilante grouping, irrespective of the legitimacy of its grievances, must be permitted to conduct immigration enforcement in streets, shopping centres, taxi ranks or neighbourhoods. Government must keep communicating clearly that immigration enforcement belongs exclusively to lawful institutions and that anyone who incites or commits violence will face arrest and prosecution. Action must be taken where violence is committed.Second, the state must demonstrate that it is serious about border management and lawful migration administration. That requires stronger border controls, faster and more efficient processing systems, cleaner permit administration, effective deportation procedures where legally appropriate, and decisive action against employers who knowingly exploit undocumented labour. Public confidence erodes when citizens see laws on paper but chaos in practice.Third, South Africa must confront corruption within its own institutions with uncompromising resolve. Earlier this year, the Special Investigating Unit revealed corruption involving the fraudulent issuing of official documentation to illegal immigrants. Government has acknowledged that such conduct undermines the integrity of the immigration system, weakens public trust, and compromises national security. Officials within Home Affairs, Customs, law enforcement and other state institutions who solicit or accept bribes in exchange for official documentation are not merely unethical; they are active threats to South Africa's sovereignty and security. Where found, such officials must be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.This point cannot be softened. A country cannot condemn illegal immigration while tolerating the internal corruption that enables illegality to flourish. Every fraudulent permit issued, every identity document sold, every official enriched by bribes, and every compromised border post, reinforce the perception that South Africa's immigration system is not merely under pressure, but that it fully compromised. That perception causes immense reputational damage because it suggests that the country's greatest challenge is not simply pressure at its borders, but decay within the very institutions responsible for protecting them.Fourth, government must restore moral clarity in its public communication. It must reject two equally dangerous false choices. The first is the notion that raising legitimate concerns about illegal immigration is inherently xenophobic. It is not. The second is the belief that opposing illegal immigration somehow justifies the abuse of foreign nationals. It does not. South Africa needs a language that is lawful, humane and unequivocal: legal immigration is welcome; illegal immigration is unacceptable; violence, intimidation and vigilantism are criminal.Fifth, the country requires a serious programme of continental reassurance. South Africa should engage affected African governments diplomatically rather than defensively and acknowledge the reputational harm that has occurred. Mature democracies do not deny injury when others have clearly experienced it. They accept responsibility for rebuilding trust. That trust will not be restored through image laundering or communications campaigns. It will be rebuilt through evidence that South Africa is capable of protecting its borders without abandoning its humanity, enforcing its laws without descending into barbarism, and balancing sovereignty with constitutional values. Below is our proposed practical path forwardDiplomatic engagement and structured claims. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation should work closely with counterparts in affected countries to establish transparent mechanisms for documenting alleged losses, verifying claims and managing any compensation discussions through established legal and diplomatic channels rather than media exchanges.A continental compact on regular migration. South Africa could champion a regional initiative through the African Union or SADC that establishes clearer standards governing regular and irregular migration, refugee protection, work permits and lawful return procedures, all consistent with existing global frameworks. Such a framework would reinforce that legal migration pathways are encouraged while unlawful migration is discouraged. Domestic accountability and public education. Government should visibly investigate and prosecute both corrupt officials who facilitate illegal immigration and individuals who engage in violence or intimidation during anti-immigrant actions. These efforts should be complemented by sustained public education campaigns that distinguish between legitimate concerns about border management and unlawful xenophobic conduct.Economic and civic partnership with diaspora communities. South Africa should actively engage foreign business communities and diaspora organisations through structured dialogue on safety, documentation, investment and community relations. Such engagement would demonstrate that lawful foreign residents remain valued contributors to South African society and that their concerns will be addressed through institutions rather than street confrontation.Government alone cannot resolve this challenge. Political leaders, business, civil society, faith communities and the media have a responsibility to reject simplistic narratives that portray every foreign national as a security threat or every concerned citizen as a xenophobe, as such broad-brush generalisations can be unjust and damaging.Many foreign nationals live and work in South Africa legally. They contribute to economic growth, create employment, obey the law and participate positively in their communities. They should not be made to bear the consequences of state incapacity or the criminal exploitation of weaknesses within the immigration system. Balance therefore remains the only credible path forward. South Africans are entitled to secure borders, an effective immigration system and a government capable of enforcing the law. Foreign nationals are equally entitled to due process, lawful treatment and protection from violence. The Constitution demands both order and dignity. South Africa's long-term reputation depends on both being consistently visible in practice..Vigilantes, police and politicians: The unholy alliance turning SA's anti-immigrant violence into a growth industry.The message should therefore be unmistakable. South Africa has every right—and indeed every obligation—to enforce its immigration laws. It has an equal obligation to protect human dignity and uphold the rule of law. These principles are not mutually exclusive; they are mutually reinforcing. The country's reputation will not be restored through slogans, campaigns or carefully crafted messaging. It will be restored when citizens, investors and the international community once again see a state capable of securing its borders, confronting corruption, protecting vulnerable people and enforcing the law fairly, consistently and without fear or favour.That is the balance South Africa must find. It is also the standard by which history—and the rest of the world—will judge us..*Solly Moeng is the Managing Director of Donvalley Reputation Managers, founder of the Africa Brand Summit, former President of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), and a Part-time Lecturer at EU Business School.*Tshepo Matseba is the Managing Director of Reputation 1st Group, Strategic Partner at Ebony + Ivory Integrated Advertising Agency, and former President of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA). .Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

No plaster can heal South Africa's anti-immigration wound

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