For many Nigerians living in South Africa, the fear never completely disappeared.
The memories still linger – businesses looted overnight, angry chants echoing through crowded streets, desperate phone calls to loved ones back home and viral videos that once shocked the African continent.
Now, years after previous xenophobic attacks triggered outrage across Africa, tensions appear to be rising once again, reopening painful conversations about immigration, unemployment, identity and the fragile promise of African unity.
The Fear Many Thought Was Gone
In recent weeks, conversations surrounding foreign nationals in South Africa have once again intensified both online and offline. Anti-immigrant rhetoric, political frustrations and growing economic hardship have fueled renewed hostility toward African migrants, including Nigerians living and working in the country.
For many Nigerians in South Africa, the atmosphere feels painfully familiar.
Some say they have become more cautious about where they go, what they say publicly and how visible their businesses appear within their communities.
“We are scared to go out. They say we are taking jobs, but we just want to live and feed our families.” – Unnamed Nigerian Shopkeeper in Durban
Why Tensions Are Rising Again
South Africa continues to battle high unemployment, rising living costs, pressure on public services and frustration among many young citizens struggling to survive in a difficult economy.
In moments of national frustration, immigrants often become easy targets for blame.
Political rhetoric, viral social media narratives, and accusations linking foreign nationals to crime and economic hardship have further deepened public anger in some communities.
But analysts warn that reducing complex economic challenges to immigration alone oversimplifies deeper structural problems.
A Painful History That Still Haunts Many Africans
This is not the first time xenophobic tensions have shaken South Africa.
Over the years, several outbreaks of violence targeting foreign nationals – including Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Somalis, Ethiopians and other African migrants – have sparked continental outrage.
Shops were destroyed. Families displaced. Lives disrupted.
The attacks also strained diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa, with many Africans questioning how a continent that speaks passionately about unity could repeatedly witness Africans turning against one another.
Beyond Anger: The Human Cost of Xenophobia
Behind every headline are ordinary people trying to survive.
There are Nigerian students pursuing education far from home, traders supporting families across borders, young professionals chasing better opportunities and parents raising children in communities where they constantly feel the need to “fit in”.
Many South Africans themselves have also publicly rejected xenophobia, insisting that violence against fellow Africans cannot solve economic hardship.
Community leaders, activists and civil society organisations have repeatedly called for dialogue, peace and policies that address economic inequality without fueling hatred.
“We should never allow the legitimate concerns of our communities about illegal migration to breed prejudice towards our fellow Africans… It cannot be and it must never be, that we trample into the dust the African fellowship that made our freedom possible.” — President Cyril Ramaphosa, Freedom Day Address, Bloemfontein, 27 April 2026
Social Media: Fueling Fear or Exposing Reality?
Social media has played a major role in shaping public perception around immigration and xenophobia.
Viral clips, unverified claims, inflammatory speeches and emotionally charged hashtags often spread faster than verified information, escalating fear and anger before facts are fully established.
At the same time, social media has also become a tool for awareness, helping victims share their stories and mobilising support across Africa during periods of unrest.
Can Africa Truly Achieve Unity?
The renewed tensions have once again forced many Africans to confront uncomfortable questions about identity, borders, and the future of Pan-Africanism.
Can African nations truly build unity while citizens of neighbouring countries continue to face hostility within the continent?
Can economic frustration be addressed without turning migrants into scapegoats?
And perhaps most importantly: what does African solidarity truly mean in practice?
For many observers, the issue goes far beyond Nigeria and South Africa. It reflects a larger struggle across the continent – balancing national pressure with continental unity in an increasingly difficult economic climate.
Final Thoughts
As tensions continue to rise, many Nigerians in South Africa are watching closely, hoping history does not repeat itself.
But beyond the fear and political noise lies a deeper challenge for Africa itself: whether the continent can move beyond cycles of blame and build societies where opportunity, dignity, and safety are not determined by nationality.
Because if Africans cannot feel safe among fellow Africans, the dream of a truly united continent may remain painfully out of reach.
