The importance of being African: public attitudes towards immigration selection in South Africa

Abstract

The African Union wants to make "being African" an important immigration admission criterion amongst its member states. This would be a large-scale change to border control in South Africa, altering the nation's symbolic boundaries. But what do ordinary South Africans think about this change? And what are the determinants of public support for drawing boundaries in this way? Using data from the South African Social Attitudes Survey, this paper argues that social identity is one of the primary drivers of how people think about this issue. This outcome showcases the way identity politics drives South African attitudes towards border control.