Bongani Ndlovu
South African artists are paying the price for xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiment in their country, with performances across Africa being cancelled amid growing anger over the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has revealed that local entertainers are losing work opportunities on the continent, with one artist reporting that all her bookings outside South Africa had been cancelled.
The disclosure is the clearest indication yet that the fallout from South Africa’s migration tensions is beginning to hurt ordinary citizens and businesses beyond the country’s borders.
Speaking on the impact of the crisis, Kubayi said many South African artists who rely on performances elsewhere in Africa were seeing bookings disappear.
“Majority of South African artists perform on the continent and many of them are seeing their gigs being cancelled,” she said.
“But one artist did reach out to me to say all her gigs were cancelled on the continent. This is an income lost by a South African.”
Her remarks come amid growing criticism of South Africa following a wave of anti-immigrant protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals, particularly migrants from other African countries.
While South African authorities have maintained that concerns over illegal immigration should be addressed through law enforcement, critics argue that xenophobic rhetoric and attacks have damaged relations with fellow African nations.
The backlash now appears to be extending to the entertainment industry, one of South Africa’s strongest cultural exports.
Kubayi acknowledged that the country’s reputation was suffering and warned that continued attacks on foreign nationals could have wider consequences.
“Hence, we are calling for vigilantism to be rejected by communities, for attacks on foreign nationals because they do to a certain extent extend to others who are not even foreign nationals in terms of language and how they look,” she said.
She warned that the tensions could undermine social cohesion and deepen divisions within South Africa while also affecting the country’s standing across the continent.
“It can hurt our social cohesion. It can divide us further in terms of our cultural diversity.”
For years, South African musicians, DJs and performers have enjoyed strong support across Africa, regularly headlining festivals and concerts in neighbouring and regional countries.
But as anger over xenophobic attacks grows, artists appear to be facing increasing resistance from audiences and event organisers, highlighting how the consequences of anti-foreigner sentiment can reach far beyond politics and immigration enforcement.
The cancellations signal a potentially costly backlash for South Africa’s creative sector, with artists now finding themselves caught in the fallout from a crisis largely beyond their control.
– SABC News/Zimpapers Reporter
Online Reporter