South Africa’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 33.6% Despite Crackdown on Foreign Workers

 South Africa’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 33.6% Despite Crackdown on Foreign Workers

South Africa’s unemployment crisis has worsened, with the country’s official unemployment rate rising to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 32.7% in the first quarter, according to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

The latest figures show that the number of unemployed people increased by 345,000 to 8.5 million, while total employment declined slightly by 16,000 to 16.7 million.

Youth unemployment also deteriorated significantly. The number of unemployed young people increased by 264,000 to approximately 5 million, while youth employment declined.

Unemployment Rises as Foreign Workers Face Pressure

The figures come amid heightened pressure on undocumented and foreign nationals in South Africa. In the months leading up to the latest unemployment data, thousands of foreign nationals—including citizens from Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe—faced threats, displacement and repatriation.

In some communities, anti-immigrant groups reportedly issued deadlines for undocumented foreigners to leave, while incidents of violence and looting forced some foreign nationals to seek safety or return home.

The argument frequently made by anti-migrant groups is that removing foreign workers would create more employment opportunities for South Africans.

However, the latest unemployment figures do not show an improvement in employment following the exodus of foreign workers.

Youth Unemployment Remains a Major Concern

One of the strongest challenges facing South Africa is youth unemployment.

The number of unemployed young people rose sharply during the quarter, even as youth employment declined. This is particularly significant because young South Africans have often been at the centre of calls for stronger action against foreign workers competing for jobs.

The latest data suggests that removing foreign nationals alone has not addressed the deeper employment crisis facing the country.

South Africa’s Jobs Crisis Is Structural

South Africa’s unemployment problem is far more complicated than the presence of foreign workers.

Weak economic growth, limited investment, skills mismatches, a struggling formal sector and persistent structural unemployment have contributed to the country’s long-running jobs crisis.

Employment also declined in several sectors during the quarter, demonstrating that the challenges facing the labour market extend across the wider economy.

Consequently, blaming foreign nationals for South Africa’s unemployment crisis risks overlooking the economic and structural factors that have kept unemployment exceptionally high for years.

Xenophobia Has Come at a Cost

The anti-immigrant campaign has also carried significant social and diplomatic consequences.

Foreign nationals have faced threats, violence, property losses and displacement, while governments and diplomatic missions have had to respond to the safety of their citizens.

Beyond the human cost, such incidents can damage South Africa’s reputation across the continent and strain relations with neighbouring and other African countries.

Most importantly, the latest unemployment figures provide no clear evidence that driving foreign workers out has produced the large-scale employment gains promised by those advocating such measures.

The Numbers Raise Difficult Questions

South Africa’s unemployment rate has now reached 33.6%, with 8.5 million people officially unemployed.

The figures raise an important question: if removing foreign workers was supposed to create jobs for South Africans, why has unemployment increased instead?

The answer is unlikely to be found simply by blaming migrants. South Africa’s employment crisis is rooted in deeper economic and structural problems that require long-term solutions, including stronger economic growth, investment, skills development and sustainable job creation.

The latest data should therefore prompt a serious debate about what is actually driving unemployment—and whether xenophobia can ever provide a meaningful solution.

The promise was that removing foreign workers would create jobs. The latest numbers show that South Africa’s unemployment problem remains deeply entrenched.

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