South Africa Migrant Tensions: Why Ghana Must Lead Change

Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr. asserts that Ghana cannot claim the moral high ground regarding South Africa's anti-migrant sentiments due to its own 1969 expulsion of West Africans. Speaking after a visit to South Africa, Pratt highlighted that while some Ghanaians are returning home due to anxiety and economic hardship, Africa must confront its historical prejudices and focus on collective economic progress to ensure free movement and dignity for all workers.

What Is the Reality for Ghanaians in South Africa Right Now?

Renewed anti-immigrant sentiments in parts of South Africa have left many African migrants fearing for their safety. Planned protests and calls to remove undocumented foreign nationals have prompted some Ghanaians to return home, while others closely monitor the situation from abroad.

However, the reality on the ground might be more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Speaking on Radio Gold on Sunday, July 5, 2026, Pratt shared his recent experience. He had just returned from a four-day visit to Bela-Bela in Limpopo, arriving through Johannesburg, and did not personally encounter any harassment.

I landed in Johannesburg and drove two and a half hours to Bela-Bela in Limpopo. I didn't have a scratch on my skin, nobody asked to see my passport, nothing. I stayed in Bela-Bela for four days... not a whimper against anybody. That's the reality.

Why Are Some Ghanaians Returning Home?

Despite the relative calm in certain areas, conversations with returning Ghanaians reveal a deep-seated anxiety about the future. The uncertainty is driving a temporary brain drain, with talented individuals choosing safety over risk.

Pratt recounted speaking with one traveler who preferred to leave South Africa temporarily because he was uncertain about what could happen after June 30. He intends to return only if the situation stabilizes.

One of them told me that he's not sure of what is likely to happen... so he was coming to Ghana to watch the situation and after two or three weeks, depending on his reading of the situation, he may go back or stay.

Economic hardship is another powerful factor pushing the diaspora back home. Pratt spoke with another Ghanaian who returned after spending eight months in South Africa without securing a job. For this returnee, the financial struggle made it impossible to justify staying, let alone risking his life.

He's been to South Africa for eight months. He doesn't have a job. He's struggling to find a job... so there's no point risking his life. He decided to come back home, and even coming back home was difficult because he couldn't afford his ticket. It was relatives who bought the ticket for him.

This is exactly why we must build robust entrepreneurial ecosystems at home. When our brightest minds cannot find economic opportunity abroad, Ghana must be ready to welcome them with viable business infrastructure and innovation hubs that transform returnees into job creators.

What Was Ghana's 1969 Aliens Compliance Order?

While acknowledging the genuine concerns surrounding the treatment of migrants in South Africa, Pratt delivered a powerful reminder about Ghana's own history. He argued that before pointing fingers, Ghanaians must confront the uncomfortable truths of our past.

Today, this is happening in South Africa and I'm sitting in this studio as a Ghanaian. I find it so difficult to mount any moral high ground because we started it.

Pratt recalled the 1969 Aliens Compliance Order introduced under the administration of former Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia. This policy led to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals, particularly West Africans, from Ghana.

We started the Alien Compliance Order, expelled hundreds of thousands of West Africans from Ghana for the same reasons that the March on March movement is marching in the streets of Johannesburg and other places against other Africans. Nigerians died in their hundreds as a result of the implementation of the Alien Compliance Order. Togolese were maltreated. Some of them were beaten and thrown out of their houses. We did it in 1969 or thereabouts under the Busia administration.

How Can Africa Build a Borderless Economy for All?

Pratt's remarks add a crucial historical perspective to the ongoing debate on migration and xenophobia. His message is clear: African countries must confront their own past actions while working collectively to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of migrants across the continent.

For a continent eager to boost intra-African trade and innovation, free movement of labor is not just a human rights issue; it is an economic imperative. We cannot build the Africa we want if our borders are closed to talent and enterprise. True Pan-Africanism means dismantling the barriers that hold back our collective prosperity, ensuring that every Ghanaian, Nigerian, or South African can contribute to our shared economic future without fear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 1969 Aliens Compliance Order in Ghana?

The 1969 Aliens Compliance Order was a government policy under Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia that expelled hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals, mostly West Africans, from Ghana.

Are Ghanaians currently being attacked in South Africa?

While there are renewed anti-immigrant sentiments and planned protests, journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr. recently visited Limpopo and reported not experiencing or witnessing any personal harassment during his stay.

Why are some Ghanaians leaving South Africa?

Some Ghanaians are returning to Ghana due to anxiety over potential violence after planned protests, while others are leaving because of severe economic hardship and an inability to secure employment.