The dithering job market in South Africa has many backlashes. Foremost is the growing Xenophobia, wherein the locals are increasingly impatient about migrants from other African countries gobbling up jobs, leaving the natives virtually jobless. Secondly, attack on migrant workers particularly those working in mines, plantations and other low paying jobs have set off retaliatory protests in other parts of Africa, especially from where these migrants are drafted. The protests in countries like Nigeria organized in support of the migrant workers in South Africa is now threatening to assume menacing proportions.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Yola, Adamawa State, recently picketed South African businesses, warning them to leave the country in seven days as a retaliation to the happenings in South Africa. The students’ organization staged the protest to show their solidarity to the killings of Nigerians in South Africa, who protested against the discrimination in giving jobs. NANS threatened to blockade South African business interests in Nigeria at the expiry of ultimatum if the mindless attacks on the fellow Nigerians are not stopped. The protesters are targeting at enterprises of South Africa operating in Nigeria like MTN, DSTV, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Shoprit. While the protests in both countries are escalating, the respective governments are aghast as to how to stop the demonstrations, which can affect the economic and diplomatic relations of the two largest and economically happening places in the continent.
Importantly, the oil rich Nigeria is not in the same league as it was a few decades back. Arguably the most industrialized country in Africa, ahead of South Africa, it has become an investment hub not only from South Africa but also for the US, EU and China. Also, Nigerian business tycoons, who are counted among the world’s richest barons, have huge investments across Africa and beyond.
