Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Anani Kwashi, said there are about 800 Ghanaians in the country who want to return home.
He said the first group of 300 people would leave on Wednesday.
Nearly 1,000 Ghanaians want to leave South Africa
He said there are about 16,000 Ghanaians in South Africa.
“Out of those 16,000, we are finding about 1,000 people who want to go back home. We have currently registered 810,” Quashi said.
The High Commissioner said most Ghanaians were in South Africa legally, but some of them had struggled to get their permits renewed.
He made the comments as some Ghanaians gathered outside the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria on Sunday to undergo a security clearance process.
This comes after Ghana announced this week It will evacuate more than 800 of its citizens Following a viral video showing the alleged attack on a Ghanaian man, Emmanuel Akowua Asamoah.
Asamoah has already returned to Ghana.
'Stop xenophobic attacks'
The return of Ghanaians home comes as anti-immigrant protests flared up again in South Africa.
Analysts say the protests are the result of public anger over unemployment, crime and deteriorating services, with foreigners becoming easy scapegoats.
Quashi acknowledged on Sunday that illegal immigration is a problem, but stressed that it needs to be solved without violence.
He said, “You've heard the President of South Africa speak on this issue and say stop the xenophobic attacks. The police minister has said the same thing, I've heard other top South African politicians say the same thing. Let's see how we solve this problem, but let's not take the law into our own hands.”
South Africa hits back at Ghana's criticism
Earlier in the month, Ghana requested a debate in the African Union (AU) on the “recurrence of xenophobic incidents” in South Africa.
“It is particularly disturbing that manifestations of xenophobia, including violent attacks against fellow Africans, have persisted in recent years. This development is particularly worrying when viewed in light of the longstanding solidarity demonstrated by African states in support of the struggle against apartheid and South Africa's post-democratic transition.”
However, South Africa said it dealt with “sporadic incidents of confrontation against some immigrants” and condemned the government.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said, “South Africa will continue to lead with a pan-African heart. Our commitment is to solidarity, the rule of law and the security of all people living within our borders. Migration must be managed through cooperation, compassion and continental responsibility.”
The South African government also raised concerns about governance failures in other African countries that forced people to flee, many of whom ended up in South Africa.
Some people from Ghana outside the High Commission on Sunday told the SABC That they do not feel safe in South Africa.
South African government 'needs to do more'
Some critics say that the South African government More needs to be done to stop xenophobic attacks.
talking to citizen Earlier this month, brand reputation strategist Solly Moeng said the government needed to take action against South Africans who attack foreigners.
He said there are many law-abiding, legal foreign citizens in South Africa.
Moeung said, “It requires leadership at the highest level to say enough is enough, and then there should be arrests and prosecution for any violent acts. This should not be justified. The world needs to see the government taking action against these things.”