South Africa Laments Xenophobia Bad For Its Economy As Musicians Lose International Engagements
South Africa’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has admitted that the country’s ongoing anti-migrant crisis and xenophobic hostility are triggering economic and reputational consequences across Africa.
Kubayi acknowledged that some South African artists had reportedly losing performance opportunities on the continent.
Speaking during a public broadcast, Kubayi acknowledged that South Africa was facing international backlash over its handling of migration issues and said the government was working to limit the damage to the country’s image and business interests abroad.
She said: “We can’t lie about the backlash, and that is why part of the work that we are doing as a government as well through DECO is engagement with businesses abroad, South African companies abroad,” Kubayi said.
“Minister Alamola has met with them and we are providing services, support services and consular services for those businesses on the continent and outside the continent.
“So that where they face a backlash, where they face difficulties, there would be one of the areas that we would have to look at as well that has come to my attention as well.
“It is our artists. Majority of South African artists perform on the continent and many of them are seeing their gigs being cancelled. That is another impact of the work because they benefit quite a lot.”
The Minister said the entertainment sector was already feeling the effects of the controversy, revealing that one artist had personally informed her that all her scheduled performances across Africa have been cancelled.
“They perform at live performance events and everything. So they are receiving a thing. We have not been able to work together. So we will definitely work together with arts and culture to understand the impact for them to get,” Kubayi said.
“But one artist did reach out to me to say all her gigs were cancelled on the continent. This is an income lost by a South African.
“So the brand does get affected and that is why part of what we are doing is to explain that South Africans are not xenophobic, and we are also saying to South Africans, let’s be responsible.”
Kubayi maintained that concerns over illegal immigration should be addressed through lawful means rather than attacks on foreign nationals.
“That is why let’s deal with the issue of illegal immigrants. And that’s why all the others are saying to us, South Africa, we understand what you are dealing with, with the basis that these are illegal people, therefore enforce the law,” she said.
“Those that you have within the borders legally, please protect them like you would protect South Africans. So that is the message as well, that we continue to do.”
The Minister warned that vigilantism and hostility toward foreigners could further damage South Africa’s standing both domestically and internationally.
“Hence, we are calling for vigilantism to be rejected by communities, for attacks on foreign nationals because they do, to a certain extent, extend to others who are not even foreign nationals in terms of language and how they look,” Kubayi said.
“It is those things that we do believe that it can even not only hurt the brand, but can hurt our social equation. It can divide us further in terms of our cultural diversity.
“We have welcomed our cultural diversity and inclusion and welcomed each other from different tribes and different communities. If we don’t deal with this both internally, it can also hurt us internally and externally.”
The remarks come amid heightened outrage over escalating xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa by South Africans, issues that have repeatedly strained relations between South Africa and other African countries.
As the renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa continues unabated since April 2026, several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi have evacuated hundreds of their citizens from South Africa.
