By Kipkirui Langat
The recent resurgence of xenophobic tensions in South Africa has once again exposed a painful contradiction in Africa’s development journey.
While African leaders continue to champion continental integration, free movement of people, and economic cooperation through initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Agenda 2063, many African migrants are facing hostility, discrimination, and calls to leave South Africa.
Although foreign nationals are often accused of taking jobs, increasing competition, or contributing to crime, xenophobia is not the root problem. It is largely a symptom of deeper structural challenges, including unemployment, poverty, inequality, weak governance, and slow economic growth.
South Africa remains one of Africa’s most developed economies, yet millions of young people continue to struggle to find meaningful employment. In communities facing economic hardship, migrants often become convenient scapegoats for frustrations that originate elsewhere.
The real issue is not immigration, but rather the inability of African economies to create enough opportunities for their growing populations.
For decades, many countries have struggled to industrialise, add value to their natural resources, and generate sufficient decent jobs. As a result, millions of Africans migrate in search of work, business opportunities, and improved living conditions. South Africa, with its relatively advanced economy, has naturally become a major destination for these migrants.
However, the challenge is not South Africa’s alone, but it is a continental problem. Migration pressures are often the result of uneven economic development across Africa. Some countries export labour while others attract it, yet there are insufficient continental mechanisms to manage labour mobility, skills recognition, and migration effectively. As economic pressures rise, tensions inevitably emerge.
The irony is particularly evident considering Africa’s history. During the fight against apartheid, many African nations provided political, diplomatic, and economic support to South Africa.
However, today, those very Africans who contributed to that solidarity are increasingly seen as outsiders. This perception undermines the spirit of Pan-Africanism that was instrumental in shaping the continent’s liberation movements.
The implications extend far beyond South Africa, as xenophobia poses a direct threat to AfCFTA and Africa’s broader integration agenda.
Trade agreements alone cannot deliver continental prosperity if people, skills, and services cannot move freely across borders.
Engineers, technicians, health professionals, traders, and entrepreneurs are essential for building regional value chains and competitive industries. A continent that embraces free trade while rejecting labour mobility risks limiting the full benefits of integration.
There is also a danger that similar sentiments could emerge elsewhere. Many African countries face rising youth unemployment, inflation, inequality, and social pressures. If these challenges remain unresolved, migrants could become targets in other countries just as they have in South Africa. What is happening today should therefore be viewed as a warning to the entire continent.
To effectively address the crisis, immediate action is necessary. Governments must clearly condemn xenophobic violence and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted. Law enforcement agencies need to protect all residents, regardless of their nationality. Additionally, governments should enhance migration systems to facilitate the orderly and legal movement of people.
Public education is crucial for all. Many migrants play a significant role in local economies through entrepreneurship, investment, taxation, and the provision of critical skills. Raising awareness of these contributions can help combat misinformation and lessen hostility.
However, the long-term solution lies in economic transformation. Africa cannot eliminate xenophobia without addressing unemployment and inequality.
The continent must accelerate industrialisation, manufacturing, infrastructure development, and value addition. Rather than exporting raw materials and importing finished products, African countries must build industries that create jobs for millions of young people.
AfCFTA offers an opportunity to achieve this transformation. By expanding intra-African trade and strengthening regional value chains, the continent can generate employment, reduce poverty, and lessen migration pressures driven by economic desperation. More evenly distributed economic growth across Africa will reduce the perception that opportunities exist only in a few countries.
Skills development must also be prioritised, especially where Africa’s rapidly growing youth population can become either a demographic dividend or a source of instability. Investment in technical and vocational education, digital skills, engineering, manufacturing, green technologies, and entrepreneurship is essential for creating a productive workforce capable of driving industrialisation.
Africa urgently needs responsible leadership. Political leaders must resist the temptation to use migration issues for short-term political gain. Instead, they should focus on promoting social cohesion, regional solidarity, and the principles of Pan-Africanism. The continent’s future relies on cooperation rather than division.
The xenophobic tensions in South Africa should therefore serve as a wake-up call for Africa. They expose the unfinished work of economic inclusion, job creation, governance reform, and regional integration. If Africa is to realise Agenda 2063 and the promise of AfCFTA, it must address the root causes of economic frustration while strengthening the bonds that unite its people.
Africa’s future will not be constructed through borders and exclusion, but rather shaped by jobs, skills development, industrialisation, and a collective commitment to ensuring that every African has a stake in the continent’s prosperity.
The challenge facing South Africa today is not merely a national issue but a continental test of Africa’s commitment to unity and shared development.
*The author is a TVET and human capital development expert.
E-mail: langat.langat@gmail.com
