South Africa has experienced recurring waves of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals, particularly vulnerable due to their visibility in retail, street vending, and small business sectors. While rooted in economic hardship and job competition, theviolence has intensified periodically—most notably in 2008, 2015, 2019, and 2021—resulting in cases of African migrants being robbed, assaulted, deported, or killed. Although South African authorities reject that the country is xenophobic, except for only a handful of citizens, many African governments, including Ghana, have ordered evacuations for their citizens.