Zimbabweans struggle to rebuild after fleeing xenophobia in South Africa

Thousands of Zimbabweans who had sought work in South Africa returned home in mid-2026 after a campaign by anti-immigrant activists and a widely publicised June 30 deadline prompted fears of raids and violence. Although the South African government said the deadline was not official and warned against intimidation, many migrants left preemptively; by July 28 Zimbabwe's Information Minister Zhemu Soda reported 116,670 returnees.

Returnees describe stark economic reversals on their arrival. Some, like Samantha Chimbuya who had left Zimbabwe in 2019, said they had access to work, healthcare and schooling in South Africa but felt unsafe as activists intensified actions near their homes. Others, including carpenters and skilled tradespeople, were pushed to leave after workplace raids and pressure to show permits.

The Zimbabwean government says it is screening and profiling returnees to identify skills and needs, establishing reintegration centres and encouraging companies to hire skilled returnees. The ministries have also discussed recruiting qualified teachers and offering vocational training or business support. Despite these measures, many returnees report slow or inadequate assistance — only 36,940 received government help, while nearly 80,000 returned independently.

Civil society groups and churches have provided immediate relief such as shelter, food and training in trades like welding and carpentry, and some returnees have used savings and skills acquired abroad to start small enterprises. Sidney Bunya, for example, shipped tools home and established a carpentry business that now employs five people. Still, leaders of faith and rights organisations say longer-term programmes — including grants, agricultural inputs and machinery — are needed to secure sustainable livelihoods for people who have been away for years and often lack local assets.