South Africa: Migrant Exodus Leaves South African Employers Short-Handed

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Radio France Internationale report dated 30 July 2026, says South African employers are facing labour shortages after thousands of foreign workers left the country following xenophobic attacks, anti-migrant protests and tougher immigration enforcement. The report focuses on KwaZulu-Natal, where farmers said sugarcane operations have been disrupted because the work depends on regular manual labour.

RFI cited an AFP tally based on African government repatriation figures that put the departures at more than 160,000 people after anti-migrant groups set 30 June as an unofficial deadline for undocumented migrants to leave. Zimbabweans made up the largest share of returnees, according to the report, with many having worked in agriculture, domestic work and construction. Farmers and workers described uncut cane, shortages in citrus harvesting and pressure on vineyards, while a clothing factory manager in Durban’s Chatsworth area said the loss of skilled machinists from Malawi and Mozambique was affecting production.

The report also notes a contested labour debate inside South Africa, where unemployment is above 33 percent. Some unions and researchers argue the issue is not a lack of South Africans willing to work, but employers’ reliance on migrant labour that may be cheaper or less likely to be formally protected. A union organiser alleged foreign farmworkers often endure long hours and sub-minimum pay.

RFI reported that the government has promoted a “locals first” approach while expanding a Trusted Employer Scheme to speed visas for qualifying companies. Industry figures are calling for regulated seasonal labour routes, particularly from Southern African Development Community countries. For migrants who left or remain uncertain, safety fears are central: police data cited in the report said at least four foreigners had been killed.