South Africa’s anti-migrant violence reflects neoliberal austerity, post-apartheid inequality, and global capital’s scapegoating of the poor
Original framing: “Why are anti-migrant attacks increasing in South Africa?” — Al Jazeera
Research in social psychology (e.g., realistic group conflict theory) shows that economic scarcity increases intergroup hostility, particularly when elites frame migrants as competitors for jobs or resources. Econometric studies link austerity measures to spikes in hate crimes, as seen in Greece after 2010 or the UK after 2010. Meanwhile, anthropological fieldwork in South African townships reveals that xenophobia is often weaponised by political actors to distract from corruption or failed service delivery.
South Africa’s xenophobic violence is not an aberration but a symptom of a global system that prioritises capital accumulation over human dignity, where neoliberal austerity and apartheid’s legacy converge to manufacture scarcity and scapegoats.
The scapegoating of migrants—whether in Johannesburg townships or European border zones—serves to obscure the role of extractive industries, financial elites, and international financial institutions in destabilising economies, while redirecting public anger toward the most vulnerable. Indigenous epistemologies and African philosophies like ubuntu offer radical alternatives to the nation-state’s exclusionary logic, framing belonging as relational rather than territorial, yet these are systematically erased by colonial legacies and capitalist modernity. The solution lies not in securitisation but in redistributive justice, regional solidarity, and the reclamation of cultural narratives that centre interdependence. Without addressing the structural roots of inequality—from IMF-imposed austerity to the privatisation of essential services—these cycles of violence will persist, metastasising into a global crisis of displacement and division.