A historian and senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Kenneth Ombongi, has rejected attempts to describe anti-migrant violence in South Africa as Afrophobia, arguing that the unrest is rooted in xenophobia, political scapegoating, and unresolved socio-economic inequalities.
He says migrants from across Africa were being unfairly blamed for structural problems that stem from apartheid’s enduring legacy and governance failures.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Thursday, Ombongi argued that the attacks targeting African migrants are not driven by hatred of Africans as a people but by a broader fear of those perceived as outsiders.
“Xenophobia is fear of the other situation, fear of the one we identify and label as foreign,” he highlighted. “Xenophobia is a category that separates us from them. In academia, we use the word othering, that notion that they exist there, we exist here, they are different from us, and therefore they should not be with us.”
He rejected suggestions that the violence should be labelled Afrophobia, insisting that Africans across the continent share deep historical and cultural ties.
The UON lecturer also pointed to Africa’s collective support for the struggle against apartheid, describing South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994 as “not just a triumph for South Africans” but “a triumph for Africa”.
He argued that migrants have become scapegoats for deeper problems facing the country.
“A Kenyan migrant, Zimbabwean migrant, a Nigerian immigrant, a Somali migrant, is actually not the problem in South Africa,” he stressed. “What is the problem in South Africa is structural.”
According to the historian, the end of apartheid brought political freedom but failed to fundamentally transform economic realities for many South Africans.
Ombongi's comments come amid South Africa experiencing recurring waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when at least 62 people were killed in attacks targeting foreign nationals, mainly from other African countries.
Recent unrest has again affected migrants from Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Somalia and Ethiopia, with businesses looted and communities displaced.
Human Rights Watch says xenophobic attacks intensified in 2026 amid anti-immigration protests and economic frustrations.
Recent violence has killed at least five people and forced thousands to seek refuge or repatriation.
More than 3,000 Malawians fled their homes in Durban, while Nigeria says 1,094 of its citizens have registered for voluntary return. Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi and Nigeria have organized evacuations for affected nationals.
The South African government has condemned the attacks and pledged action, with President Cyril Ramaphosa warning against scapegoating migrants for unemployment and crime, while promising stricter immigration enforcement, dedicated immigration courts, stronger border controls and biometric identity systems.
The South African government has also vowed to crack down on vigilante groups and enforce immigration laws through state institutions rather than mob action.
Moving on, the historian noted that many migrant-owned businesses had closed following threats and pressure, questioning whether their departure would create meaningful employment opportunities for South Africans.
“The Africans in South Africa that are not South Africans are creating opportunities,” he said, adding that many migrants were willing to take on difficult and poorly paid jobs that locals often avoided.
Ombongi further suggested that political leaders across racial and party lines had contributed to the current climate.
He also criticised the failure of successive post-apartheid governments to meet public expectations, saying many promises made after 1994 proved unrealistic.
Drawing parallels with Kenya, he argued that South Africa’s frustrations stem from unmet socio-economic expectations rather than the presence of foreign nationals.
“We are all migrants, and what is important is that we either choose to coexist together carefully or perish together,” he concluded.