South Africa’s migration debate must move beyond xenophobia, populism, and vigilantism towards a new politics of inclusion anchored in economic growth, capable governance, and African integration.
This was the resounding message from the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation Winter Seminar, held at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) where political leaders, senior government officials, business executives, academics, and policymakers gathered to examine one of the continent’s most pressing challenges.
Hosted under the theme “The Continent and Migration”, the seminar brought together former President Kgalema Motlanthe; Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola; MTN Group Independent Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas; Minister for Finance of Ghana, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson; and other thought leaders in an honest and wide-ranging discussion on migration, governance, economic development, and the future of African integration.
Rather than treating migration as merely a border security issue, speaker after speaker argued that the movement of people is ultimately a consequence of governance failures, economic stagnation, conflict, and inequality across the continent.
Migration is a Symptom, Not the Disease
Opening the discussion, Mcebisi Jonas cautioned against simplistic explanations that blame migrants for South Africa’s social and economic challenges. He described the recent attacks on foreign nationals as deeply disturbing, recalling scenes of immigrant families being hunted in their homes, spaza shops being looted and burnt, and African governments having to organize buses and charter flights to evacuate their citizens.
“Men and women who share our continent, our history and, in many cases, our struggle for freedom have been made to feel like strangers, intruders and outcasts,” Jonas said.
While acknowledging legitimate public concerns about border management, overcrowded public services, and failures within the immigration system, Jonas argued that South Africa’s unemployment crisis, deteriorating public services, weak economic growth, and rising inequality were not caused by migrants. They are instead the result of accumulated policy failures over many years.
“If every foreign national left the country tomorrow, those problems would remain. In many respects, they would become even worse,” he warned.
Jonas noted that protests have been fueled by opportunistic politicians seeking electoral advantage, criminal syndicates exploiting vulnerable communities, and sophisticated misinformation campaigns amplifying anger through organized social media networks.
Democracy Must Defeat the Politics of Exclusion
Jonas argued that South Africa’s real crisis lies in weak governance, poor economic performance, inadequate education, failing infrastructure, and institutional decline. Drawing on historical examples across Africa, he reminded delegates that trade, migration, and entrepreneurship have always moved together to strengthen economies.
He pointed to the commercial networks created by Somali, Ethiopian, and West African traders as evidence that human mobility has long driven African prosperity.
“South Africa’s challenge is not too many migrants,” he observed. “It is too little growth – and far too much exclusion.”
Government Calls for a Balance Between Security and Human Rights
Speaking on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola acknowledged that migration has become one of South Africa’s most difficult policy debates.
“The challenge before us is not whether to choose between security and humanity, or national interests and human rights,” Lamola said. “The challenge is to implement policies that advance all of these objectives simultaneously.”
Lamola stressed that effective migration management depends upon capable institutions, evidence-based policymaking, and stronger regional cooperation. He also condemned vigilantism, insisting that immigration enforcement remains exclusively the responsibility of the state, noting recent arrests involving suspects accused of intimidation, extortion, looting, and attacks on foreign-owned businesses.
Africa’s History Demonstrates the Power of Human Mobility
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, reminded delegates that for centuries, Africans moved freely across the continent to trade and build communities long before colonial borders existed. Using the historic commercial networks linking Ghana and Nigeria, he illustrated how entrepreneurs crossed borders smoothly based on trust and innovation.
“They did not bring scarcity,” Dr. Forson said. “They brought markets.”
Reflecting on Ghana’s own experience with past expulsions, he noted that migrants often become political scapegoats whenever governments fail to meet citizens’ expectations. He called for greater investment in education, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and regional economic integration to prepare young people for the digital economy.
Motlanthe: South Africa Was Built by Africa
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe delivered a defining historical reflection, tracing the evolution of labor migration from the nineteenth-century mining economy to the present day. He reminded delegates that South Africa’s prosperity was built on migrant labor drawn from across Southern Africa.
“Our economy was not built beside Africa,” he observed. “It was built out of Africa.”
Motlanthe acknowledged the genuine frustrations experienced by millions of South Africans facing unemployment and declining public services, but cautioned that a failure by the state to maintain its authority invites lawlessness, with devastating consequences for sectors like agriculture and tourism.
“Political stability is a precondition for economic development,” he concluded.
Conclusion: Choosing Inclusion Over Division
Participants agreed that while migration presents legitimate governance challenges, the continent cannot afford to retreat into nationalism or exclusion. Migration pressures will only diminish when African economies generate inclusive growth, political stability, and opportunities for young people.
The overarching message of the seminar was clear: migration is not the cause of Africa’s challenges; it is a reflection of them. The solution lies not in building higher walls, but in building stronger institutions, stronger economies, and stronger partnerships among African nations.