Are foreigners welcome in South Africa?: an attitudinal analysis of anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa during the 2003-2018 period

Abstract

Protections from discrimination based on nationality or country of origin were included in the current South Africa constitution (No. 108 of 1996). Legislation, especially the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (No. 4 of 2000), criminalise this type of prejudice. In terms of both the constitution and the law, discrimination against and individual because of their nationality is considered no different from other forms of discrimination, including racism. Despite these protections, many international migrants living in South Africa face abuse, discrimination and hate speech based on nothing more than their 'foreignness'. There is a strong undercurrent of anti-immigration sentiment in the country that motivates prejudice against this population group. The existence of such sentiments leads to the following questions: what are the underlying causes of these negative attitudes?. If we can understand the causes of such anti-immigrant sentiments, we can perhaps better understand how to combat them.