XENOBAROMETER: Ministers’ statements on R5-million visa rule weaponised against foreign traders

The claim that foreign nationals must invest R5-million to operate businesses in South Africa is misleading, as the threshold only applies to certain business visa applications and not all foreign business owners. Immigration lawyers and court rulings affirm that refugees, asylum seekers, and some permit holders can legally run businesses without meeting this investment requirement.

Despite this, anti-immigrant protesters have repeatedly invoked the claim to intimidate traders and shut down foreign-owned shops across South Africa, particularly in response to incidents such as the deaths of six children in Soweto in October 2024, which triggered a government crackdown in Gauteng.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.