Understanding conflict between locals and migrants in SA

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the drivers of conflict between local residents and foreign-born migrants in the Atteridgeville and Diepsloot townships of Gauteng, South Africa. The research concludes that tensions are primarily driven by socio-economic pressures—including high unemployment, poor service delivery, and competition for scarce resources—rather than innate xenophobia.

• Conflict between locals and foreign-born migrants is primarily driven by socio-economic pressures and competition for scarce resources rather than inherent hatred or xenophobia. Locals perceive migrants as competitors for jobs, basic services, and better living standards in an environment of economic stagnation.
• High unemployment, particularly among the youth, creates a volatile environment where foreign-born migrants are seen as stealing jobs. Some locals claim migrants are willing to accept lower wages, which they believe reverses liberation struggle gains and squeezes locals out of the job market.
• There is a pervasive but often unfounded perception that foreign migrants are responsible for high crime rates. This mistrust is exacerbated by poor policing, a lack of visible arrests, and a failure by authorities to provide community-level crime data, leading citizens to rely on speculation and inflammatory narratives.
• Poor service delivery and inadequate infrastructure contribute to community friction. In areas like Atteridgeville, the lack of municipal services leads to conflict as different groups jostle for limited resources, a situation sometimes manipulated by political parties.
• Social cohesion is hindered by a lack of interaction and the creation of ethnic or national enclaves. While some 'communities of convenience' exist for economic reasons, a lack of genuine social integration prevents empathy and reinforces 'us versus them' mentalities.
• Vigilante groups, specifically Operation Dudula, have operated with perceived impunity by harassing foreigners and blocking access to services, such as at Kalafong Hospital. This has eroded trust in the state's ability to enforce the law and has led some to view vigilante actions as lawful.

APA

Chikohomero, R. (2023). Understanding conflict between locals and migrants in SA. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-55-rev.pdf

Chicago

Chikohomero, Ringisai. Understanding conflict between locals and migrants in SA. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-55-rev.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chikohomero |first1=Ringisai |title=Understanding conflict between locals and migrants in SA |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2023 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-55-rev.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chikohomero2023understanding, author = {Chikohomero, Ringisai}, title = {{Understanding conflict between locals and migrants in SA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-55-rev.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }