For many Nigerians living in South Africa, daily life has become a troubling mix of fear, uncertainty, and survival.
As anti-foreigner protests spread across parts of Johannesburg, Durban, and Pretoria in recent weeks, many Nigerians say they now live in constant anxiety, afraid not only of protesters on the streets, but also of law enforcement officials they accuse of harassment and extortion.
Some have abandoned their homes and businesses. Others remain indoors, waiting for an opportunity to return to Nigeria after years of struggling abroad.
While South African authorities insist the situation has not escalated into widespread violence in many areas, the memories of previous xenophobic attacks, which claimed lives and destroyed businesses, continue to haunt foreign nationals, especially Nigerians.
For Oriyomi Philip, a Nigerian resident in Rosettenville, Johannesburg South, the tension forced his family into hiding for days.
“I’m a Nigerian living in South Africa and I’ve been here over a decade,” he said. “For the whole of last week, we couldn’t go out to do anything because of the tension and the ‘foreigners must go’ protest.”
According to him, many Nigerians obeyed an advisory from the Nigerian Consulate General urging citizens to remain indoors for safety.
“My family and I stayed indoors throughout that period. We were safe, but people were afraid,” he said.
Though his shop escaped destruction, Philip said life in South Africa had become increasingly unbearable for many undocumented Nigerians struggling to survive.
“Here in South Africa, we create our own businesses ourselves. Nobody wants to employ foreigners,” he explained. “Most of us don’t even have proper documents because we cannot afford to renew passports or secure permits.”
He described how undocumented migrants constantly live under fear of arrest.
Police group
“There is a police group called Amapoisa. Once they suspect you are a foreigner and you cannot speak their language, they arrest you. Sometimes they demand money. If you cannot pay at least 1,000 or 1,500 rand, they take you to court.”
Philip said the worsening climate of fear pushed him to register for the Federal Government’s planned voluntary evacuation programme.
“When I heard about the repatriation arrangement, I quickly registered myself and my family,” he said. “Most people want to go home, but the problem is where do they start from? Some of us have stayed here for 10 or 15 years.”
He appealed to the Nigerian government to support returnees financially. “If government can help us with small money to start business again in Nigeria, many people will gladly return. That is the major reason many are still here despite suffering.”
Another Nigerian identified simply as David said he lost virtually everything during the unrest.
“My business place was attacked and I was chased out because I’m Nigerian,” he said. “They didn’t even allow me collect my pay.”
David said protesters destroyed and burnt his vehicle while he narrowly escaped death.
“They burnt my car and I sustained injury on my head. Right now, I don’t even know where to start from,” he lamented.
Currently squatting in a friend’s apartment, he said neither the Nigerian government nor any organisation had offered assistance.
“The only help I got came from good Samaritans,” he said. “Not even from Nigerians.”
David also accused the South African police of worsening the situation.
“We are running from protesters and at the same time running from the police because sometimes they are even worse,” he said.
Like many others, he pleaded for evacuation support and reintegration assistance back home.
“If the Nigerian government can help us return and support us to start something small, we will appreciate it,” he added.
For Temitayo, another Nigerian resident in Johannesburg, the fear has become deeply psychological. “This is not life,” he said quietly.
He recalled how her family remained indoors throughout the protests after receiving security warnings.
“Honestly, things have been difficult,” he said. “I registered immediately when I heard the Nigerian government wanted to bring people home.”
According to him, fear has become part of everyday existence.
“Even if you have your documents, police will still disturb you once they realise you cannot understand their language,” he said. “If you don’t have money to give them, you may end up in jail.”
He said many Nigerians no longer feel protected. “You would think the police would help matters, but they are adding fuel to the fire,” he said. “We need help to come home safely and live freely again.”
Despite the growing fears, leaders of the Nigerian community in South Africa insist the protests have not spread nationwide.
Hon. Ekos Akpokabayen, Board of Trustees Chairman of the Nigeria Union South Africa, NUSA, said the situation, though worrying, remained relatively calm compared to previous xenophobic outbreaks.
“South Africa has nine provinces and so far the protests have mainly been in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and parts of Eastern Cape,” he explained.
According to him, the demonstrations were largely driven by complaints from South Africans over illegal migration, unemployment, and crime.
“They believe foreigners are taking jobs and committing crimes, but you cannot generalise everybody,” he said.
Akpokabayen noted that many Nigerians voluntarily shut their businesses to avoid attacks whenever protesters approached their areas.
“What worries us is the possibility of escalation because previous xenophobic attacks led to killings, looting, and destruction,” he said.
He disclosed that over 200 Nigerians and their families had already registered with the Nigerian mission for possible return to Nigeria.
“We have been working closely with the Nigerian Consulate and also engaging South African authorities and community leaders to calm tensions,” he stated.
He urged the Nigerian government to provide stronger diplomatic intervention and financial support for stranded citizens.
“We need the Nigerian government to send a strong delegation here,” he said. “Not everybody can leave immediately. Some are students, professionals, lecturers, doctors, and legitimate business people.”
Akpokabayen also appealed for support for vulnerable Nigerians willing to return home.
“Those who cannot afford tickets should be assisted,” he said. “It will show Nigerians abroad that their country has not abandoned them.”
Concerns
Concerns over the safety of Nigerians have also attracted reactions from advocacy groups in Nigeria.
Executive Director of Patriotic Citizen Initiatives, PCI, Osita Osemene, said distressed Nigerians in South Africa had been reaching out desperately for intervention.
“Many Nigerians there have contacted us seeking help to reach the government,” he said.
According to him, the organisation had raised concerns through migration management platforms involving officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and refugee agencies.
While acknowledging reports of evacuation plans, Osemene criticised suggestions that stranded Nigerians might fund their own return.
“In emergency situations like this, you cannot expect citizens to start sourcing money for evacuation,” he warned. “Government has a constitutional responsibility to protect Nigerians anywhere they are.”
He further warned that the threats facing Nigerians were serious. “There is a high level of threat to life. Government should urgently move to rescue stranded Nigerians and help them reintegrate back home”, he urged.
Investigation
The Federal Government recently demanded a thorough investigation into the deaths of two Nigerians in South Africa, identified as Nnaemeka Matthew Andrew Ekpeyong and Kelvin Chidiebere Amaramiro, who reportedly died after sustaining injuries in the custody of South African security agencies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern over growing anti-foreigner protests and confirmed ongoing diplomatic engagements with South African authorities.
Officials said Nigeria and South Africa were working to fast-track an Early Warning Mechanism aimed at preventing xenophobic violence and improving responses to threats against foreign nationals.
For thousands of Nigerians living in South Africa, however, diplomacy alone may not calm the fears that now define their everyday reality.
Many say they are exhausted, stranded, and desperate for a safe way home. “We sleep with fear every day,” one of them said. “We just want to come home.”
Vanguard