Scapegoating Migrants: How South Africa’s Populism Masks Systemic Crises

Aimée-Noel Mbiyozo, Senior Research Consultant at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), explains that South Africa’s recurring anti-migrant mobilisation reveals a deeper political and socioeconomic crisis. While public frustrations over unemployment, inequality, corruption, and failing public services are genuine, migrants have become convenient scapegoats rather than the cause of these structural issues. Drawing on migration data, governance failures, and labour market realities, she contends that anti-migrant narratives persist not due to evidence, but because they offer politically expedient explanations for complex challenges.

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