Nigeria: Lingering Scars of Xenophobia - Nigerian Entrepreneur's Dream Lost in South Africa Amid Hostility

What the report says

A Vanguard report republished by AllAfrica says Nigerian entrepreneur Taiwo Kazeem has returned to Nigeria after more than a decade in South Africa, where he built a career in the creative sector but says an episode of hostility disrupted his business and personal safety. The article is based on Kazeem’s account and describes how he left Nigeria hoping for better opportunities, then shifted from banking and hospitality into beauty services, modelling, acting and film production after finding the job market difficult.

According to the report, Kazeem later established a salon and a production company, earned recognition in South Africa’s creative industry and took part in community and arts-related projects. He said he also engaged with organisations and community groups that aimed to reduce xenophobia and promote coexistence among migrant communities. The piece says he believed tensions could be managed until the incident that led him to leave the country.

Kazeem said the episode damaged his property, affected his livelihood and left him worried about security. He claimed equipment and other business items were lost or left behind, and said he had opened a case with authorities. The report does not independently verify those claims. It presents his experience as part of a wider pattern of concern among foreign nationals in South Africa, especially Nigerians, about xenophobia, discrimination and the risks faced by migrant entrepreneurs who have invested years building businesses abroad.