South Africa’s immigration crackdown divides Johannesburg’s inner city

Johannesburg, South Africa – In the narrow lanes of Fordsburg in central Johannesburg, Junaid Mohammed* stands behind the counter of a family shop that has been in his family for decades. His father started it as a general dealer. Today, it survives on cheap Chinese imports and shrinking margins. Junaid, who asks us to use a pseudonym, does not call it a decline. He calls it survival. But the bigger change is not what he sells. It is who he employs. Junaid only employs foreign nationals as store assistants and packers. “It was not a deliberate choice,” he says. It began with cost. Then habit. Then necessity. “It became expensive to hire locals,” he says. South Africa’s minimum wage is about $1.87 per hour, roughly $324 per month, plus statutory contributions and strong labour protections. Junaid says he cannot carry it. He pays about $12 a day, below the legal minimum, and hires workers only when business allows. “If we do well, we can hire more. But when we are not busy, we can say we don’t need you now,” he says. Pressure beyond the shop Outside, pressure is rising. Across South Africa, vigilante groups such as Operation Dudula and the March and March movement have carried out “citizen raids” on businesses accused of hiring foreign nationals. Some have turned violent. At the same time, the state is tightening enforcement. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned vigilante action and promised to hire 10,000 labour inspectors. …