Growing anger over illegal immigration and South Africa’s asylum system has spilled into protests, with South Africans demanding stronger border controls and insisting that their government prioritize citizens at a time when the country is facing extraordinarily high unemployment, severe inequality and pressure on public services.
At the heart of the protests is a question increasingly being asked by South Africans: How much more can the country afford?
South Africa is at the southern tip of the African continent, thousands of miles from many of the countries from which asylum seekers originate. Protesters point to people arriving from other parts of Africa, as well as countries such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and China, and question why individuals who have traveled through numerous other countries choose South Africa as their destination.
They question why people who have crossed multiple countries before reaching South Africa should be allowed to remain indefinitely while their claims are processed.
The concern is intensified by the record of the asylum system.
Historical South African government data has shown that the overwhelming majority of asylum applications are rejected. A government spending review found that less than 10% of applications were approved, meaning approximately over 90% were rejected.
Recent Home Affairs statistics have also recorded rejection rates above 90% in multiple years.
Those figures have confirmed the widespread public perception that only a small percentage of asylum claims ultimately represent people who qualify for refugee protection.
Protesters say South Africa should have a faster system capable of separating the few genuine refugees from the majority of people using the asylum process as a way to obtain temporary legal status and remain in the country.
Their argument is straightforward.
South Africa has limited resources and cannot afford to provide services to people whose claims have little chance of succeeding while millions of citizens remain unemployed and poor.
The economic circumstances make the anger particularly acute.
Statistics South Africa reported that unemployment stood at 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026.
Unemployment among young people aged 15 to 24 reached a staggering 60.9%. Among those aged 25 to 34, unemployment was 40.6%.
The World Bank says unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most serious structural problems and that roughly 44% of the working-age population is unemployed or discouraged from looking for work.
For young South Africans trying to enter the workforce, competition for low-skilled jobs is especially sensitive. Protesters argue that employers who hire illegal workers, particularly at lower wages, can undermine opportunities for South Africans who are legally entitled to work in their own country.
South Africa’s inequality makes the situation even more difficult. The World Bank has previously ranked South Africa as the most unequal country in the world. It identified labor-market inequality and extremely high youth unemployment as major contributors.
Protesters also object to what they see as the use of scarce public resources for so-called asylum seekers while South African citizens struggle to obtain adequate healthcare, education, housing and social assistance.
The social-grant system, SASSA, allows refugees and asylum seekers to receive grants paid by South African taxpayers.
For South Africans living in communities where unemployment, poverty and inadequate services are daily realities, the argument is increasingly about priorities.
They are not necessarily arguing that legitimate refugees should be denied protection. Rather, they are demanding that the government distinguish genuine refugees from economic migrants and people entering the country illegally, process claims rapidly, enforce immigration laws and remove those who have no legal right to remain.
The protesters’ broader message is that South Africa cannot be expected to solve the problems of the world while failing to address the needs of its own citizens.
With youth unemployment above 60%, millions of South Africans without jobs and inequality remaining among the world’s highest, protesters say government policy must begin with those who already call South Africa home.
For them, putting South Africans first means secure borders, a functioning asylum system, strict enforcement of immigration laws and public resources directed first toward the country’s unemployed, vulnerable and struggling citizens.
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