Ghana received the final group of 41 of its citizens from South Africa on Friday 4th September, bringing the total number to over 1,900 since voluntary evacuations begun in May 2026.
- •The remains of two Ghanaians who were attacked and killed were also repatriated, while one returnee died upon arrival in Accra.
- •In July, two Ghanaian petitioned the International Criminal Court over the deaths, further straining diplomatic relations between Accra and Pretoria over the most recent wave of anti-migrant violence.
- •While Pretoria has estimated that more than 53,000 foreign nations have left since the violence surged, an estimate by the AFP news agency places the number higher, at over 160, 000.
South Africa has been rocked by xenophobic attacks for decades, with such waves recurring in different parts of the country, at different intensities, every few years. In 2008, it convicted 128 people after 62 foreign nationals were killed in widespread riots that begun in a north-eastern part of Johannesburg.
In May 2013, Abdi Nasir Mahmoud Good, a 25-year-old Somali national, was stoned to death in what became the start of attacks targeting Somali entrepreneurs that lasted for more than two years. Xenophobic attacks have recurred in some form nearly every year since, with some years such as 2026 witnessing more widespread, organised attacks.
As a response to the most recent attacks, a growing number African countries have organised transport for their citizens, whether legally in South Africa or not, to move back home. In addition to the immediate transportation costs, countries are also working in different ways to assess the long-term costs of lost income and property for the evacuees. Each of the 1,900 Ghanaians were provided with reintegration financial support, transportation allowance, medical care, psychosocial support, free health insurance registration and ongoing employment assistance.
The attacks have damaged Pretoria’s diplomatic standing on the continent, especially as its waves of xenophobia specifically target black Africans, and triggered other consequences. In late August, for example, globally-acclaimed Malian musician Salif Keïta cancelled his tour of South Africa, saying that he was standing with people “people looking for work, safety, and dignity.” Ghana, which has financed the repatriation of its citizens, also reportedly declined a donation from MTN Ghana, a subsidiary of South African telecom giant MTN, to support the effort.
