South Africa offer support to businesses anti-migrant protests affect

Protesters dey point towards pipo wey dem beliv say be undocumented foreign nationals demonstration march by di "March and March" and Operation Dudula movements wey bin mark di unofficial deadline wey citizen-led groups bin put for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, for Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026.

Wia dis foto come from, EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP via Getty Images

Published
Read am in 5 mins

South Africa govment don ask pipo wey dia business dey affected sake of di current protests against undocumented migrants to report to di Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

Dem also ask dos wey dey affected sake of illegal migration related incidents to also report to di ministry.

Di govment make di announcement on one post for dia official X account on Sunday, 5 July, but di details neva too clear.

Skip X post
Allow X content?

Dis article contain content wey X provide. We ask for una permission before anytin dey loaded, as dem fit dey use cookies and oda technologies. You fit wan read di X cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view dis content choose 'accept and continue'.

Warning: Di BBC no dey responsible for di content of external sites.

End of X post

South Africa rule out compensation for property wey migrants get Illegally but offer support for affected businesses

Various groups protest during one march against illegal immigrants on June 30, 2026 for Pretoria, South Africa.

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Dis informate dey come one day afta one minister for South Africa presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni tok say di govment no go pay compensation for any property wey migrants get through any illegal means.

For one post on her X account on Saturday, Ntshavheni wey be former Minister of Communications & Digital Technologies, tok say, "I no dey stammer. Any form of property obtained illegally we no go compensate for am.

Her comment bin come afta Nigeria govment tok say dem go request for compensation from South Africa for dia citizens wey leave dia property behind and comot di kontri, sake of di recent protests wey target undocumented migrants.

Nigeria foreign ministry tok-tok pesin Kimiebi Ebienfa on Wednesday tell BBC say di issue go dey discussed between di two govments "for di highest levels".

But now, di South African govment don tok say dem ready to support pipo wey suffer loss sake of di protests.

Di post on X read say, "We dey here to support your business," and dem highlight di category of pipo dem plan to support.

Di govment say make pipo wey dia business experience vandalism, attacks, intimidation, disruption to operations, disruptions to supply chains during dis current protest or illegal migration-related incidents to report to dem.

"Our team ready to listen, advise and connect you to di support you need," di post read.

Thousands of foreign nationals from across Africa don run leave South Africa in recent weeks fearing anti-migrant violence

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

About 25,000 nationals of oda African countries comot South Africa afta one wave of protests in recent weeks by groups wey dey ask govment to do more to tackle illegal migration.

Some anti-migrant groups bin give undocumented foreigners deadline of 30 June to leave di kontri.

Dem organise marches wey thousands of pipo attend on Tuesday. Most of di marches bin dey largely peaceful but small-small incidents of violence against foreigners bin dey for some areas.

Di Acting High Commissioner to South Africa Alexander Ajayi bin tok for local television on Tuesday say di govment don start to document di businesses and properties wey Nigerians leave behind.

One Nigerian trader wey bin dey wait make dem carry am come back, tok say im don live for South Africa for nearly ten years and im don abandon im business and house becos im dey fear for im safety.

E dey among hundreds of Nigerians wey still dey wait to dey evacuated from South Africa. More dan 600 Nigerians don already dey repatriated in recent weeks.

Even though some of di victims get dia documents, di South African authorities say di pipo wey return to di kontri dey stay illegally, but Nigeria say no be true.

Chrispin Phiri from South Africa foreign ministry on Friday tell BBC say "transparent claims for compensation fit dey assessed on di facts and a case-by-case basis".

Nigeria acting high commissioner tok say im don ask all dos wey don comot South Africa "to document very accurately di tins wey dem leave behind in terms of businesses, in terms of even cars, movable and immovable properties".

Foreign ministry tok-tok pesin Ebienfa tell BBC say dem go verify all di claims bifor dem go make any formal request.

"We neva cut ties wit South Africa, we still dey engage dem for di highest level, we go settle all dos details using our usual diplomatic channels," e tok.

Pipo protest against undocumented migrants for South Africa

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Wilson, one trader, tok say im bin dey run clothing business for di South African city of Centurion for Gauteng province for several years.

But, e say im don close im shop now and don run go stay near di Nigeria High Commission for South Africa capital, Pretoria.

E say di goods e leave for im shop go worth more dan 16,000 rand ($975; £735).

Wilson say im residency documents bin expire for 2021 and im no fit renew am.

E say im no get hope about compensation

"If South Africa govment go compensate me, e go dey nice, but I know say dem no go do am," e tok.

Earlier, President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa bin don address dis issue of protests against migrants wey dey happun for di kontri.

For one television broadcast wey im bin do, im tok say civil society groups bin no get right to give any deadline for migrants to comot for dia kontri.

But wit evritin wey di president bin tok, di ogbonge June 30 protests bin happun.

Kontris still dey try to bring dia citizens comeback from di kontri.

But di big question be say, who go pay for di properties, businesses and evritin wey di migrants don lose?

Earlier African govment bin cut warning for dia citizens bifor di protests say make dem always dey safe.

Inside one statement, Ethiopian govment bin tell dia citizens for South Africa say "di South Africa govment say dem go provide protection for all places to prevent violent attacks on refugees and dem go use di law to deal wit all di issues."

Malawi govment bin relocate di reception center for processing dia citizens wey dey run from xenophobic attacks, from Kamuzu Stadium for Blantyre to Joyce Chitsulo stadium for Mwanza.