South Africans Oppose Immigration, Express Mixed Attitudes Toward Foreigners

9 January 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Asafika Mpako and Stephen Ndoma

Large majorities would reduce or eliminate entry by foreign workers and refugees.

Key findings

  • Four in 10 South Africans (40%) say people in Southern Africa should be able to move freely across international borders in order to trade or work in other countries. But a majority (56%) think the government should limit people's cross-border movement. o About half (51%) of respondents say that, in practice, crossing international borders is "difficult" or "very difficult."
  • Seven in 10 citizens (69%) see immigrants' economic impact on South Africa as negative.
  • Half (50%) of survey participants say they would like or wouldn't mind living next door to foreign workers or immigrants. Fewer than half (45%) feel the same about refugees.
  • More than eight in 10 South Africans (83%) say the government should reduce the number of foreign job seekers it allows to enter the country (51%) or eliminate such immigration altogether (32%), the highest level recorded across 38 African countries. o A similar majority favour reducing (49%) or eliminating (36%) entry by refugees.
  • About one-quarter (26%) of respondents say they have considered emigrating. o More than one-third of full-time workers (36%) and degree-holders (34%) have thought about moving abroad. o The most common reasons offered for potential emigration are economic, led by finding work opportunities (cited by 55% of those who have considered emigrating) and escaping economic hardship (17%). o The most popular destinations among potential emigrants are North America (18%), Europe (16%), and Australia (15%), while another 17% would go to an unspecified place outside of Africa.

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In South Africa, immigrants often bear the brunt of public anger for the country's high crime rates, economic hardships, and failing public service delivery, despite a lack of credible evidence to support these perceptions (National Planning Commission, 2025).

According to the 2022 census, the Southern African Development Community region contributes 83.5% of the 2.4 million immigrants in the country. The rest of Africa contributes 6.9%, while Europe and Asia supply 4.8% and 3.6%, respectively (Statistics South Africa, 2025).

As the most industrialised economy in Southern Africa, South Africa has long served as the regional hub for economic migration. In the past, cheap male labour from neighbouring countries formed the backbone of in-migration flows, especially in agriculture and mining (Farley, 2019). Over the years, as labour-migration flows to the country have expanded to include sectors such as hospitality, security, transport, and other services, South Africa has emerged as the African country with the most international migrants (Department of Labour and Employment, 2025).

In May 2025, South Africa's Cabinet approved the country's first comprehensive national labour-migration policy, which seeks to regulate labour-migration flows both into and out of the country. The policy aims to attract skilled workers to South Africa while stemming the country's "brain drain" of home-grown professionals (South African Government News Agency, 2025).

This dispatch reports on ordinary South Africans' perspectives on migration. The most recent Afrobarometer findings reveal that a majority of South Africans oppose the free movement of people across international borders in Southern Africa. Seven in 10 respondents say immigrants have a negative impact on the economy, and even larger majorities want fewer immigrants and refugees, or none whatsoever, to come into the country.

Opposition to immigration prevails alongside mixed attitudes toward foreigners: Half of South Africans say they would like or wouldn't mind living next door to immigrants, but almost as many would not welcome the idea. Fewer than half express tolerance toward refugees.

About one-quarter of South Africans have considered emigrating, mostly for economic reasons. Full-time workers and individuals with degrees are especially likely to have contemplated moving abroad.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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