Following recent anti-immigrant marches held in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Durban, attention has once again been drawn to concerns about xenophobia in post-apartheid South Africa (SA). 

While President Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to embrace solidarity with their African neighbours and the police have been active in curtailing violence, social tensions remain palpable. Are the recent outbreaks of anti-immigrant activism a signal of a broader rise in anti-migrant sentiment amongst the South African public?

Recent public opinion data from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) suggests that this may indeed be the case.

Lulu Gaboo spoke to Dr  Steven Gordon, Chief Research Specialist in the Developmental, Capable and Ethical State research division of the Human Sciences Research Council.