Recent events did not originate South Africa’s xenophobic online apparatus; they expose its deep entrenchment, interconnectedness, and political influence.
South Africa’s latest surge of xenophobic mobilisation did not commence with a political address or a declaration of war. It originated from a missing‑person campaign.
However, this revival could not have materialised without the groundwork of a movement that, over the past six years, cultivated audiences, networks, and narratives centered on anti‑immigrant mobilisation, tracing its roots to the #PutSouthAfricansFirst campaign that emerged during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
In early 2026, emotionally charged online appeals concerning the disappearance of Mazwi Kubheka spread rapidly on X through hashtags like #BringMazwiBack and #JusticeForMazwi. Initially presented as community‑driven searches for a missing youth, these efforts swiftly expanded into a digitally coordinated anti‑immigrant mobilisation ecosystem.
A nationwide social media initiative
Online activists have increasingly leveraged the case to substantiate broader assertions that undocumented migration fuels crime, corruption, and state failure.
A key early champion of the Mazwi campaign was X user @radebe_merci, whose persistent posting helped transform the discourse around the issue.