Are demonstrations in South Africa turning increasingly violent?

Since the widespread demonstrations on 30 June, the anti-migrant movement in South Africa has moved into a new and destabilizing phase. 

Susanna Deetlefs, Regional Desk Coordinator for Africa and North America at ACLED, said: 

“Anti-illegal migration demonstrations have continued weekly, with ACLED recording 45 such demonstrations between 1 and 20 July, as the March and March movement vowed to continue protesting for the next six months, or until its demands regarding undocumented immigrants are met. While the large-scale nationwide anti-migrant demonstrations seen on 30 June — which covered around 100  locations — have significantly decreased, the number of demonstrations in July remains higher than any other month in 2026, excluding June. Activity in July is mostly taking place in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, with smaller pockets of unrest in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Western Cape.

“The nature of these demonstrations has become more intense. While many demonstrations so far in July were peaceful, ACLED currently records the highest level of violence associated with the anti-migrant movement in 2026, excluding the spike in June. ACLED data show that more than 30% of demonstrations in July turned violent, involving riot-related incidents. In hotspots, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, there have been reports of rioters looting or burning foreign-owned shops and homes and vigilantes going door-to-door to homes and shops, demanding that foreign nationals leave the country. This shift toward greater targeting of property and individuals represents an escalation compared with previous months. This escalation in tensions also raises concerns about targeted and retaliatory violence. These concerns were underscored in early July 2026, when a March and March leader was shot and killed in Greenfields, Ekurhuleni. The victim was ambushed outside his home and later died in hospital. While the motive remains unclear, some movement leaders have claimed the killing was an assassination. 

“While the March and March movement has been a central force behind the anti-migrant sentiment, data from 2026 indicates that the majority of demonstrations are being led by local communities rather than the movement itself. Around two-thirds of July’s demonstrations were organized by community groups and local residents, suggesting the anti-migrant campaign is being carried out through grassroots mobilization. This indicates that, while March and March may have played a significant role in popularizing anti-migrant narratives, many subsequent actions are being initiated independent of the movement at the community level, with local groups drawing on or aligning themselves with the broader campaign rather than being directly coordinated by it.

“As weekly protests continue, the movement seems to be shifting away from broadly organized marches toward more targeted and potentially harmful actions.”