The stories of a Nigerian and Ghanaian who left
A Nigerian businessman shares his experience of fleeing South Africa due to rising anti-migrant sentiment and harassment. The story highlights the personal toll of diplomatic tensions and the difficulty of navigating repatriation without family members.
Why it matters
It illustrates the human impact of xenophobic violence and the strain it places on international relations between African nations.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Makuochi Okafor , BBC Africa, Lagos and Thomas Naadi , BBC Africa, Accra BBC Richard Itoro says returning to Nigeria and starting again was the better option Nigerian Richard Itoro is not sure when he will see his twin children again.
Fearing for his safety as the anti-migrant protests cranked up in South Africa this year, the 47-year-old left his family and business behind in Johannesburg and boarded one of the voluntary repatriation flights to Nigeria in June.
His is just one of many experiences that is fuelling diplomatic tension and threatening to rupture relations between South Africa and other countries on the continent.
Tens of thousands of foreigners have left the country over the past two months.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in