As South Africa approaches the June 30 deadline set by anti-immigrant groups demanding that foreign nationals leave the country, tensions continue to rise. Threats of making life “hell on earth” for immigrants have become increasingly common in public discourse, with some political activists and pressure groups presenting migrants as the source of the country’s economic and social problems.
But history raises an important question: what happens when the foreigners are gone?
Across the world, politicians have often found success by identifying a group to blame for society’s challenges. Immigrants are frequently an easy target. They are visible, often politically powerless, and can be portrayed as competitors for jobs, housing, healthcare, and public services. By focusing public anger on migrants, political actors can channel frustration away from deeper structural issues such as corruption, poor governance, inequality, unemployment, and weak economic growth.
South Africa is no exception. With unemployment remaining stubbornly high and millions struggling to make ends meet, anti-immigrant sentiment has become fertile ground for political mobilization. Groups campaigning against foreign nationals often gain media attention, public support, and political relevance by promising quick solutions to complex problems. Yet there is little evidence that removing immigrants would automatically create jobs, improve service delivery, or revive the economy.
Many sectors of the South African economy depend on migrant labour and entrepreneurship. Foreign nationals own businesses, employ South Africans, pay rent, purchase goods and services, and contribute to local economies. Their departure would not eliminate the underlying causes of poverty or unemployment. Instead, it could expose the reality that the country’s challenges are rooted in issues far larger than immigration.
The danger of building a political movement around opposition to immigrants is that it creates a temporary rallying point rather than a sustainable vision for the future. Once the target group is removed—or if the promised results fail to materialize—leaders must answer difficult questions about what comes next. How will jobs be created? How will crime be reduced? How will economic growth be stimulated? How will public services improve?
South Africa’s future will not be secured through scapegoating. It will require policies that address education, investment, industrial development, corruption, and governance. Political leaders who genuinely seek lasting solutions must offer more than anger and blame. They must present a credible plan for national development.
The question South Africans should ask is not only whether immigrants are responsible for the country’s problems, but whether those demanding their removal have a vision for what comes after. If all immigrants leave tomorrow, what exactly will they offer the nation the day after?
