South Africa prepares for anti-immigrant protests June 30

South Africa is on high alert as nationwide protests against undocumented immigration, organized by the civic movement March and March, are scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Authorities and businesses are bracing for potential violence, with a significant security deployment planned and thousands of migrants having already fled the country.

The protests follow months of escalating anti-migrant activism and a self-imposed June 30 deadline set by organizers for undocumented migrants to leave. The government has announced a 600 million rand security deployment and established joint command centers, with acting police minister Firoz Cachalia identifying KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Western Cape as potential hotspots. The South African Property Owners Association stated that public and private security forces are coordinating to protect assets, a response shaped by the memory of the deadly unrest in July 2021 that resulted in hundreds of deaths and billions in economic damage.

Tensions have already spilled into violence. At least three people have been killed in recent unrest, according to official sources, with Mozambican authorities reporting a higher toll. Clashes have led...