Kicking out migrants won’t create jobs
by Khwezi Mabasa
South Africa’s growing anti-migrant movement blames Black African migrants for unemployment, crime, and strained public services, despite limited evidence supporting these claims. Khwezi Mabasa argues that the country’s deep economic inequalities are rooted in decades of deindustrialization, labor market precarity, and policy choices rather than migration. Drawing on research and labor data, the article examines how migrants occupy a small share of the workforce and are often concentrated in insecure, low-paid jobs. It calls for evidence-based reforms aimed at expanding employment, strengthening labor protections, and addressing the structural causes of exclusion and inequality.