Mapping Hostilities: The Geography of Xenophobia in Southern Africa

Abstract

The negative attitudes of South Africans towards non-citizens, migrants and refugees are now well-documented. However, since anti-immigrant intolerance is a global phenomenon, should South Africans be singled out? This paper seeks to contextualize the South African situation by comparing the attitudes of South Africans with citizens from several other countries in the Southern African region; namely, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The paper is based on a survey implemented in 2001–2 called the National Immigration Policy Survey (NIPS). The survey was designed to measure citizen knowledge of migration and attitudes towards citizenship and foreign citizens including migrants, immigrants and refugees. The survey found that citizens across the region consistently tend to exaggerate the numbers of non-citizens in their countries, to view the migration of people within the region as a “problem” rather than an opportunity, and to scapegoat non-citizens. The intensity of these feelings varies significantly from country to country. The harshest sentiments are expressed by the citizens of South Africa, Namibia and, to a lesser extent, Boswana.