Malawians returning from South Africa face uncertain future

Ahamadi Assani has returned to his home in Malawi after fleeing growing anti-immigrant hostility in South Africa.

The continent’s biggest economy, South Africa is a magnet for migrants from neighboring countries.

"I left Malawi for South Africa in search of job opportunities so that I could support my family," Assani says. "I left on 22 February 2025 and when I got there everything was fine.“

But in recent weeks, citizen-led groups have targeted undocumented foreigners, blaming them for rising unemployment and increased pressure on public services. They set an unofficial deadline of June 30 for those migrants to leave the country.

"Even if the situation normalises, there is no way I can go back there," Assani says. "We used to run away from the police, and some migrants ended up being hit by cars. I would rather die here in poverty than go back to South Africa.”

"Luckily, I was among the people who were offered free transport to return home, but now we have nothing to do here for a living. I ran away from poverty and now I have come back to it again."

For many returnees, rebuilding a livelihood in Malawi will be a major challenge after abandoning their jobs and lives across the border.

"I have returned home with nothing and I don't know how my children and I will survive," says returnee Hawa Troko.

Troko isn’t alone. Nearly 15,000 Malawians returning from South Africa are facing the same uncertainty in a country where 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.