Looting, arrests after South Africa's anti-foreigner protests

Durban's port city bore the brunt of unrest as shops were ransacked and looted during protests demanding the departure of undocumented foreign nationals from South Africa. Shelves lay bare and packaging littered the floors of several stores near the port on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, following demonstrations.

Thousands participated in nationwide marches on Tuesday, spurred by a weeks-long campaign from fringe groups setting a June 30 deadline for illegal migrants to leave. This push had already prompted thousands to flee their homes. Police reported that while most protests were peaceful, approximately 900 arrests were made, with some individuals detained for looting.

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We are not illegal in the country but they just started looting. I was scared and felt betrayed because we had 19 people employed here but today they have no job.

In Clermont, outside Durban, looters stripped shops bare, taking food, appliances, building materials, and clothing. Owners estimated losses in the millions of rand and expressed uncertainty about their ability to reopen. Mohamed Abdul, 29, a shop owner originally from Somalia who has lived in the area for 11 years, described how a large group stormed his store, screaming insults. "I was scared and felt betrayed because we had 19 people employed here but today they have no job," Abdul said, noting that the looters even took an ATM machine.

Authorities implemented significant security measures, fearing a repeat of unrest from five years prior that resulted in around 350 deaths. The government's multi-agency security body stated that 120 marches occurred nationwide, with law enforcement intervening in only 12. Of the over 900 arrested, many were undocumented foreigners and South African looters. Police are also investigating a murder in Johannesburg's Alexandra township, which occurred during the looting of a foreign-owned shop. While the turnout was substantial, political expert Henning Melber noted the protests were not as large or violent as anticipated.

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The protesters were screaming at us and calling us names in Zulu.