About 50 people marched along Voortrekekker Road to Maitland in Cape Town to protest against illegal immigration on 30 May 2026. The group was advocating for stronger immigration enforcement, strict border control and the strict enforcement of municipal by-laws and local labour laws. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)
By Nicole Fritz and Kavisha Pillay
Digital platforms are not passive hosts of content. They have become creator economies in which attention is systematically converted into income, and content that provokes outrage, fear or anger often proves to be among the most lucrative.
South Africa is hurtling towards a dread-inducing date for many: 30 June. Set by March and March, a self-described “citizen-led movement”, the deadline calls for all “illegal” foreign nationals to leave the country. While the leaders of this movement have been careful not to be seen to explicitly endorse any violence or unrest in furtherance of their call, social media accounts supportive of the deadline have shown no such hesitation. Social media feeds are saturated with videos naming alleged “illegal foreigners”, circulating unverifiable lists, spreading rumours and false information, and urging communities to take action…