'Politically expedient around the world': Immigrants face wrath of angry populism in South Africa

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Aimée-Noel Mbiyozo, Senior Research Consultant at the Institute for Security Studies. South Africa's recurring waves of anti migrant mobilisation reveal a deeper political and socioeconomic paradox. Mbiyozo argues that while public frustration over unemployment, inequality, corruption and failing public services is genuine, migrants have become convenient political scapegoats rather than the cause of these structural crises. Drawing on migration data, governance failures and labour market realities, she contends that anti migrant narratives persist not because they are supported by evidence, but because they offer politically expedient explanations for complex problems. Mbiyozo challenges simplistic security driven responses, advocating instead for institutional reform, legal migration pathways and policies grounded in empirical reality rather than populist rhetoric.