Ghanaian nationals in South Africa have shared distressing accounts of fear, legal uncertainty and economic hardship amid rising xenophobic tensions, during an emotionally charged engagement with Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria.
The meeting, captured on video, highlighted the growing difficulties faced by an estimated 20,000 Ghanaians living in South Africa, many of whom say they are either desperate to return home or struggling with unresolved immigration and economic challenges.
One visibly emotional woman told the minister she had long hoped to leave after her plans in South Africa did not work out as expected.
“Since last year, I have wanted to leave this country because the situation that brought me here did not work out. I want to go back home, and I need to return to Ghana,” she said.
Another man, who identified himself as a teacher working legally in South Africa, described what he called persistent bureaucratic challenges affecting foreign nationals.
“We don’t want to stay here. I’m sick and tired of this country,” he said. “I have been working as a teacher in this country. Not that Ghanaians are illegal but the Home Affairs forces most of them to be illegal.”
He claimed that some Ghanaians who previously held valid documentation have faced sudden complications, including revoked residency permits and business documents later questioned by authorities.
He also recounted a separate case involving a Ghanaian woman who was knocked down by a vehicle, saying he personally supported her legal case but it was ultimately unsuccessful.
Another woman at the meeting raised concerns about Ghanaians living outside Pretoria who are unable to travel safely to register for the government’s repatriation programme.
“Some of us outside Pretoria can’t even travel by bus or taxi to come and register their names because they are scared,” she said, adding concerns about safety and discrimination in certain communities.
A business owner who also spoke at the engagement warned that rising anti-immigrant sentiment may not ease quickly, suggesting it could persist and worsen if not addressed.
He said he was already considering contingency plans for Ghanaian-owned businesses, including possible formal takeovers by local partners under regulated arrangements, in the event conditions deteriorate further.
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a support package for returning nationals from South Africa, which includes financial assistance, transportation support, reintegration aid and psychosocial counselling.
As of May 21, more than 800 Ghanaians had registered for evacuation at the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria, with the first group expected to return after verification processes are completed.
Despite these arrangements, the testimonies from the meeting underscore deeper concerns about disrupted livelihoods, revoked documentation and growing uncertainty among affected nationals.
For many, the immediate question is no longer just about returning home, but whether sufficient support will be available to help them rebuild their lives in Ghana.