Bias-motivated incidents in South Africa

Incidents over time

Every incident

46 incidents, newest first.

October 2026

• Foreign national beaten to death by mob on Durban roadside

  A man described as a foreign national was confronted by two men who broke away from a marching group and then assaulted by a crowd of roughly 50 people on a roadside in Durban; police said he was declared dead at the scene.

  Oct 22 · DurbanXenophobia4 sources

• Foreign-owned shops looted, cars stoned in Durban CBD

  Cars believed to belong to foreign nationals were damaged with stones and foreign-owned shops were looted in Durban's central business district, prompting a US consulate safety alert.

  Oct 8 · DurbanXenophobia3 sources

• Immigrant man beaten as anti-immigrant marchers rampage in Durban

  During an anti-immigrant march through Durban's city centre, protesters dragged an immigrant man from his store near Point Road and beat him over the head with a stick, leaving him bleeding.

  Oct 8 · DurbanXenophobia4 sources

• Male patient assaults girlfriend and female nurse at North West clinic

  A male patient at a clinic became agitated during a blood pressure check, assaulted his girlfriend, then attacked a female nurse, knocking her to the ground and repeatedly kicking her in the head.

  Oct 4 · MahikengSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

September 2026

• Woman found dead, apparently stoned, near Johannesburg

  A woman's body was found in a municipality east of Johannesburg, and police said she appeared to have been stoned to death.

  Sep 28 · GautengSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Woman found stabbed to death in field outside Odendaalsrus

  The body of a 29-year-old woman was found in a field outside Odendaalsrus in the Free State, with multiple stab wounds to the back and face.

  Sep 25 · OdendaalsrusSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• 62-year-old educator stabbed at her home in Dagbreek, Welkom

  A 62-year-old female educator from Teto Secondary School was stabbed multiple times in the head and hands at her private residence in Dagbreek by an alleged Grade 11 learner who had hidden inside her home.

  Sep 23 · DagbreekSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Man racially abused and threatened by driver in Norwood

  A driver called a man the K-word, threatened his family, and directed racist abuse at him in Norwood, Johannesburg.

  Sep 21 · NorwoodRacismReligious Discrimination1 source

• Nigerian man shot dead while working at a bar in Pretoria

  A 40-year-old Nigerian man, a husband and father of two, was shot dead while working at a bar in Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa, reportedly after an argument with a South African national over a drinking glass.

  Sep 20 · PretoriaXenophobia4 sources

• Businessman filmed threatening to murder women at Sandton restaurant

  A businessman was filmed at a Sandton restaurant threatening to murder a group of women who had rejected his romantic advances, saying he could buy the restaurant and get away with it.

  Sep 18 · SandtonSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Woman beaten and stabbed to death in Ekurhuleni, South Africa

  A 38-year-old woman was found partially naked after being beaten and stabbed to death in Ekurhuleni, a municipality outside Johannesburg.

  Sep 17 · EkurhuleniSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• AI image depicting mayor chased with whip circulates online

  An AI-generated image circulating on social media depicts a mayoral candidate chasing the Buffalo City mayor with a whip.

  Sep 14 · Buffalo CitySexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Teacher fatally stabbed in her home in Kgakala Location

  A 33-year-old teacher at a school for the deaf was attacked inside her residence in Kgakala Location, Extension 3, by a man suspected to be her former boyfriend, who broke in through a window armed with a knife and fatally stabbed her before killing himself.

  Sep 13 · Kgakala LocationSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Nigerian national killed by police in Cape Town amid anti-migrant tensions

  A Nigerian national was killed in Cape Town after what Nigeria's Foreign Ministry described as 'gruesome interrogation techniques' by South African police officers, amid anti-immigrant tensions between the two countries.

  Sep 5 · Cape TownXenophobia4 sources

• Nigerian bishop killed at his home in Johannesburg

  A Nigerian bishop was killed at his home in Kensington, Johannesburg, in an attack the Nigerian government condemned as part of xenophobic violence against foreigners in South Africa.

  Sep 4 · JohannesburgXenophobia3 sources

August 2026

• Man sought after three people hacked to death with a spade in North West

  Three people, including two sisters, were found hacked to death with a spade at a house in South Africa's North West province.

  Aug 23 · Moeka VumaSexism / Gender-Based Violence3 sources

• Woman allegedly shot dead by intimate partner in Ventersburg

  A woman was allegedly shot dead by her intimate partner in Ventersburg, Free State, prompting calls for communities to reject the normalisation of violence against women.

  Aug 22 · VentersburgSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Grade 8 girl sexually assaulted in school toilets by two male pupils

  Two male pupils allegedly followed a Grade 8 girl into the girls' toilet area at Villa Liza Secondary School, restrained her and tried to remove her clothing before fleeing when staff approached.

  Aug 20 · BoksburgSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

July 2026

• Zulu king's leaked outburst against wife draws gender violence concern

  Leaked footage showed the Zulu king accusing his wife, Queen Nomzamo Myeni, of infidelity, threatening her with physical assault and vowing to cut off her financial support.

  Jul 10Sexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

June 2026

• Mob loots Somali immigrant's shop amid anti-immigrant protests near Durban

  A crowd of protesters looted the shop of a Somali immigrant in Clermont, near Durban, shouting at and insulting him in Zulu, during nationwide protests against undocumented immigrants.

  Jun 30 · ClermontXenophobia1 source

• Ghanaian man shot dead in Cape Town anti-immigrant violence

  A 40-year-old Ghanaian man was shot dead in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, during demonstrations linked to attacks on foreign nationals.

  Jun 30 · Cape TownXenophobia6 sources

• Nigerian national killed by metro police in Pretoria

  A Nigerian man was allegedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police in Pretoria using what Nigeria's foreign ministry described as gruesome interrogation techniques, amid anti-migrant tensions in South Africa.

  Jun 28 · PretoriaXenophobia2 sources

• Nigerian migrant killed in police operation at his Cape Town home

  A Nigerian national was killed during a police operation at his home in Cape Town, amid ongoing attacks targeting African migrants in South Africa.

  Jun 28 · Cape TownXenophobia10 sources

• Anti-immigration march in KuGompo demands removal of undocumented immigrants

  Residents marched through KuGompo to City Hall and the police station, demanding that undocumented immigrants be removed from the town.

  Jun 23 · KuGompoXenophobia1 source

• Somali-owned shops looted in Potchefstroom during anti-immigrant protests

  During anti-illegal immigration protests in Potchefstroom, at least 15 Somali-owned shops were broken into and looted, and two Somali nationals were hospitalised after being attacked.

  Jun 22 · PotchefstroomXenophobia1 source

• Malawian man killed by mob in Pietermaritzburg amid xenophobic unrest

  A 29-year-old Malawian national was attacked by a mob in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and died after being found with a head wound and mouth injuries.

  Jun 19 · PietermaritzburgXenophobia9 sources

• Off-duty police constable shot dead by partner in Durban

  An off-duty female police constable was shot dead at her partner's residence in Mpumalanga Township, west of Durban.

  Jun 16 · Mpumalanga TownshipSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

May 2026

• Mob forces Mozambican immigrant to flee Kleinmond home

  A crowd in Kleinmond, South Africa went door to door telling foreign immigrants to leave.

  May 31 · KleinmondXenophobia4 sources

• Mozambican immigrants killed in xenophobic clashes in Mossel Bay

  At least four Mozambican immigrants were killed and several injured during clashes with South African residents in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, amid tensions against foreigners.

  May 29 · Mossel BayXenophobia14 sources

• Migrants' shacks burned in xenophobic attack in South Africa

  Around 55 shacks in a makeshift camp were set on fire in South Africa, in violence that Mozambique's government says targeted immigrants.

  May 29 · Mossel BayXenophobia1 source

• Rape survivor made to wait five hours for emergency HIV prevention at Soweto clinic

  A 20-year-old woman who had been raped went to Zola Clinic in Soweto for emergency HIV-prevention medication and was left waiting five hours before being seen, then given the medication without counselling or referral to support services.

  May 27 · SowetoSexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

• Protesters raid foreign-owned businesses in Qonce, South Africa

  Protesters led by the lobby group March and March conducted unauthorised raids on foreign-owned businesses in Qonce, Eastern Cape, demanding immigration documents and ordering a car wash closed.

  May 20 · QonceXenophobia1 source

• Anti-immigration protest in Durban turns violent, foreign nationals injured

  An anti-illegal-immigration protest in the Durban CBD descended into chaos, with foreign nationals, including refugees and children, chased from their homes and gathering at the Durban Central police station, where police fired rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring three people.

  May 19 · DurbanXenophobia2 sources

• South African mayor seizes keys from foreign business owners in Estcourt

  The mayor of Estcourt seized keys from foreign business owners and handed them to locals, giving foreign shop owners 21 days to leave the area.

  May 11 · EstcourtXenophobia1 source

April 2026

• Three foreign-national business owners shot at Johannesburg fast-food outlet

  Three business owners said to be foreign nationals were shot inside a popular fast-food outlet in the Johannesburg inner city.

  Apr 27 · JohannesburgXenophobia1 source

• Ghanaian immigrant told to leave South Africa in xenophobic incident

  A Ghanaian legal resident in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province was confronted and instructed to leave the country and 'fix his country.'

  Apr 23 · KwaZulu-NatalXenophobia1 source

• Nigerian man beaten by South African soldiers in Port Elizabeth

  A Nigerian national, Amamiro Chidiebere Emmanuel, was beaten by South African National Defence Force personnel in Port Elizabeth and died from his injuries days later, amid anti-foreigner tensions.

  Apr 20 · Port ElizabethXenophobia2 sources

• Mob attacks Nigerian businesses and residents in KuGompo after Igbo king's installation

  After the local Igbo community installed a traditional king in KuGompo (East London), South Africa, locals attacked Nigerian businesses and people of Nigerian descent, injuring at least 26 Nigerians and destroying property worth millions of rands.

  Apr 2 · KuGompoXenophobia1 source

• Residents target foreign traders at Mdantsane taxi rank

  Residents at the Qumza Highway taxi rank in Mdantsane moved to remove foreign nationals allegedly operating without valid trading permits, shutting several businesses.

  Apr 1 · MdantsaneXenophobia1 source

March 2026

• Mob loots immigrant shops, torches vehicles in Buffalo City protest

  During a protest in Buffalo City, a crowd turned on immigrant shop owners, looting butcheries and torching vehicles belonging to Somali immigrants.

  Mar 30 · Buffalo CityXenophobia1 source

• Anti-immigrant protesters march in Durban, some harass bystanders and loot shops

  Hundreds of protesters, including members of the xenophobic vigilante group Operation Dudula, marched in Durban demanding tougher action against foreigners.

  Mar 25 · DurbanXenophobia4 sources

February 2026

• Lesbian couple in Johannesburg face homophobic backlash over wedding

  A Johannesburg lesbian couple who married in a Hindu ceremony were mocked with homophobic comments on social media after images of their wedding went viral.

  Feb 21 · JohannesburgQueer Discrimination1 source

• Nigerian man fatally shot in Johannesburg garage

  A Nigerian man was fatally shot in a garage in Windsor, Johannesburg, by a man and his team.

  Feb 8 · JohannesburgXenophobia1 source

January 2026

• Journalist racially attacked online over interracial relationship

  An eNCA reporter was targeted online with racist slurs and threats over her interracial relationship with a colleague, after she questioned US President Donald Trump about 'white genocide' claims.

  Jan 24Racism1 source

• Rental agent tells prospective Black tenant flat is for white person

  A Remax rental agent asked a prospective tenant about their ethnicity and told them a one-bedroom apartment in Sinoville, Pretoria was reserved for a white person.

  Jan 22 · PretoriaRacism1 source

• Minister's X account photoshopped with vulgar images

  Vulgar sexual images were photoshopped onto the X account of a Minister in the Presidency, and the government condemned the act as targeting a woman with sexual imagery.

  Jan 10Sexism / Gender-Based Violence1 source

Elsewhere in Africa

• Nigeria 10