Nigerians in South Africa

The number of Nigerians in South Africa was estimated to be 24,000 in 2011.[1] However, recent claims which has been viewed to be inflated suggest that the number is currently at 800,000. A more acceptable estimate will be 30,314 according to the 2016 Community Survey.[2]

The end of apartheid in 1994 saw a large migration of Nigerians to South Africa as businesses sought for professionals to immigrate.[3] However, the arrival of Nigerians to South Africa began to increase drastically in 2004 when monthly entries became 2,000 and then 4,000 in 2010. Ultimately, the entries of Nigerian Nationals from 2004 to 2010 were about 36,000. Among these increased migrants were entrepreneurs, high and middle skilled workers, students and dependents.[4] Locations particularly occupied by Nigerians are Guateng, Kwazulu-Nata and Western Cape provinces.

The demand for expatriates and skilled labor first spurred the migration of Nigerians to South Africa. Subsequently, there was more influx of movement to South Africa among Nigerians that sought for opportunities and a more conducive environment for their businesses. A considerable number of Nigerians that arrived South Africa were there for visitation.[4] Others came in as students while some came seeking for asylum due to the activities of terrorists in Nigeria.[5]

About 1,000 to 3,000 Nigerians applied for asylum over the past ten years. However, these numbers do vary significantly by the year. Compared to the total number of people that apply for asylum in South Africa, these numbers only represent 1% of the total number. Which include people from Somalia, Ethiopia and the Congo. Among these set of individuals, 99.9% of Nigerian cases are rejected.[4]

Nigerians tend to be making it in the job market from the level of unskilled workers to corporate workers as most of them possess qualifications that surpass that of South Africans. With degrees from universities like Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge, the competition is stiff and it is somewhat difficult for the other migrants and locals with degrees from indigenous universities to get the best paying jobs as the Nigerian foreigners.[6] Pertaining to businesses, although there is no exact data to quantify this, restaurants, salons and bars are mostly run by Nigerians.

Nigerian social networks seem to have spread from the urban neighborhoods where first generation Nigerians landed in South African cities in the mid-1990s. There has been a spread of Nigerians from the first few buildings in Hillbrow (Johannesburg) and Berea, Gauteng to other urban locations. So far, there are at least four Nigerian organizations in Johannesburg alone Which include the West Rand Nigerian Association, the Diamond Brothers Club (Randburg), the Nigerian Union of South Africa, the Egbe Omo Oodua (Yeoville). However, these organizations are on an ethno-regional basis of which the first two are particularly Igbo while the last to belong to the Yoruba tribe. These organizations carry out charitable activities towards fellow Nigerians and South Africans in South Africa.[7]

The Nigerian High Commission in South Africa honors certain South African based individuals which include Nigerian doctors, engineers, fashion designers and academics during award ceremonies. In addition, a large number of the places for socialization like bars, barber shops and restaurants are run by Nigerians. Recent qualitative research suggests that intermarriages do occur between Nigerian men and South African women.[8]

The relationship between South Africa and Nigeria slowly became severed as a result of a trend that grew rapidly between 1994 and 1998. Some Nigerians were said to have ventured into organized crimes involving illegal drug trafficking. This generated a stereotypical view where Nigerians were portrayed by the South African media as criminals and a threat to the South African economic security. However, these widely accepted claims of criminal activities by Nigerians had no authentic evidences.[4]

The view of Nigerians as drug dealers, human traffickers and internet scammers, spurred attacks by South Africans on various occasions. The high qualification of most Nigerians which gave them better advantage in the job market thereby, making it difficult for the locals to get access to high paying jobs also contributed to the attacks as some unhappy bunch suggested that educated Nigerians could be making positive contributions back at home where there is clearly a need, instead of taking the top jobs from the hands of qualified South Africans.[9] Recent Attacks took place in 2009, 2015 and 2019 leading to the deaths and injuries of many poor Nigerians. The pictures and videos of the attacks instigated violent reactions on South African businesses in Nigeria as many condemned the xenophobia phenomenon referring to it as an wrong payback for the help Nigeria offered South Africa during apartheid.

However, the South African President Ramaphosa, made a public apology to Nigeria in 2019 through his envoy Jeff Radebe, stating that he was ashamed of the violence that had being demonstrated towards Nigerians. He said, "The incident does not represent what we stand for," adding that South African police would "leave no stone unturned" in bringing those involved to justice. Ramaphosa, addressing the BBC, further said "We are very concerned and of course as a nation we [are] ashamed because this goes against the ethos of what South Africa stands for". President Buhari responded to the apologies from the South African president, pledging that the relationship between the two countries will be solidified," a statement from his office said.[10]

Apparently, there has been a level of evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa since 2019 as a result of the xenophobic attacks. The Nigerian government instigated the evacuation which led to hundreds of Nigerians leaving South Africa in 2019.[11]

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