For Ethiopian refugee Helena Wolde, leaving South Africa is no longer a realistic option.
When thousands of protesters marched across the country demanding foreigners leave the country, the 49-year-old man locked his house, stayed indoors with his wife and three South African-born children and watched the protests on television. When the demonstrations ended, he reopened his small grocery store in downtown Durban, hoping it would avoid another wave of anti-immigrant violence.
Had done this.
Many neighboring immigrant-owned businesses were not as lucky.
After fleeing political persecution in Ethiopia more than two decades ago, Wolde says he has nothing left to return to.
“I have no place, no property, no family,” he said, explaining that his brothers have been imprisoned in the house.
His story reflects the difficult reality of the thousands of immigrants who remain in South Africa despite growing hostility. While more than 25,000 people reportedly left the country before this week's nationwide protests, many refugees and asylum seekers say they have nowhere else to go.
Businesses become easy targets
Tuesday's demonstrations were largely peaceful, but violence broke out in several communities as migrant-owned shops were looted and vandalized.
The victims included Daniel Abide, the owner of an Ethiopian shop in the Claremont township outside Durban.
One of his two convenience stores was looted by thieves overnight. The other escaped harm.
Abede, who has lived in South Africa for 10 years, employs a South African worker and says migrants are creating opportunities rather than taking them away.
“Foreigners are not taking jobs away from South Africans,” he said. “We're starting a small business here. We're paying rent.”
He hopes to reopen the destroyed shop despite the financial crisis.
Residents said businesses owned by Somali and Pakistani nationals were also attacked. Outside a damaged store, workers hurried to repair broken doors before nightfall, fearing the looters would return.
Anger fueled by financial constraints
South Africa's anti-immigration movement has gained momentum as frustrations over unemployment, crime and struggling public services rise.
The group leading the protests, March and March, emphasizes that it is campaigning only against undocumented immigration, rather than foreigners in general.
Its leader, Jacinta Ngobase, argues that migrant-owned businesses have displaced local entrepreneurs.
“This economy belongs to our people and it has been hijacked,” he told supporters during Tuesday's march.
Ngobse has called for weekly demonstrations every Thursday until the government's immigration policies are tightened, including demanding mass deportations.
Although organizers reject charges of xenophobia, migrants say they are often harassed regardless of their legal status.
There are numerous reports of citizens being stopped demanding identification documents, even though South African authorities have repeatedly stated that only police officers have the legal authority to request immigration papers.
Refugees stuck in the middle
According to the United Nations, South Africa hosts more than 167,000 refugees and asylum seekers, while its total immigrant population is about 3 million, about 4 percent of the country's population.
This ratio is relatively low compared to many other African countries. There are approximately 1.8 million refugees in Uganda, more than 1.2 million in Chad and about 850,000 in Kenya.
Despite widespread public perceptions linking immigrants to unemployment and crime, researchers have consistently found little evidence that immigration is responsible for South Africa's economic struggles.
Still, refugees say fear has become part of everyday life.
Wolde now keeps a laminated folder containing his refugee permit, tax records and bank statements in easy access.
He often shows the documents several times a day to police officers or anyone who questions whether he is in the country or not.
Still, customers have stopped coming to his business.
“Business is not good now,” he said. “Everyone is afraid to come here.”
This is not his first experience of anti-foreigner violence.
He survived a shooting in 2008 and endured previous waves of xenophobic unrest in 2015 and 2021.
Despite everything, he says he will stay.
“I do business here. I don't know why they're angry.”
Diplomatic attacks exchanged between Ghana and South Africa
The protests have also sparked fresh diplomatic tensions between South Africa and Ghana following the death of a Ghanaian migrant.
Ghana's foreign ministry said Bashiru Isaac, 40, was shot dead during an anti-immigrant protest in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township and lodged an official protest in Pretoria.
South Africa rejected the accusation, calling Ghana's account inaccurate and insisting that no deaths were recorded during Tuesday's nationwide protests.
Justice Minister Mamamoloko Kubayi accused Ghana of spreading misinformation that falsely portrays South Africa as xenophobic.
“It is worrying that Ghanaian authorities continue to misinform South Africa regarding the phenomenon of irregular migration,” Kubayi said.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Crispin Phiri urged governments to verify information through diplomatic channels before making public statements, saying Ghana's recent claims have not been properly verified.
The 35-year-old Ghanaian was shot inside a barber shop on Monday in what investigators believe was an extortion attempt, police offered a different account of the killing.
According to police, unidentified gunmen entered the store, demanded money and shot the victim before fleeing.
Authorities also disputed the identity of the victim, the date of the incident, and the location provided by Ghana.