Anti-immigration activists in South Africa rejected the government's June 7 pledges to crack down on illegal immigration as insufficient and held broadly peaceful protests in Ekurhuleni, during which they warned businesses across the country to end the employment of all foreign nationals by June 30, Daily Maverick reported on June 8. This comes in spite of President Cyril Ramaphosa pledging to intensify the deportation of illegal immigrants, tackle corruption in South Africa's immigration system, tighten border controls and increase workplace inspections to ensure employers are not hiring undocumented immigrants.

South Africa has faced recurring bouts of anti-immigration protests and deadly vigilante action for more than 20 years, driven by public frustration with sub-Saharan immigrants' perceived pressure on already poor public services and the strained labor market. Anti-immigration protests have surged in recent months amid calls by the newly established March and March organization to denounce the South African government's purported failure to enforce immigration laws.