South Africa’s immigration crackdown divides Johannesburg’s inner city
Key takeaways
- A government push to curb undocumented employment is exposing the dependence of many small businesses on migrant labour.
- Today, it survives on cheap Chinese imports and shrinking margins.
- Junaid, who asks us to use a pseudonym, does not call it a decline.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
A government push to curb undocumented employment is exposing the dependence of many small businesses on migrant labour.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Migrant workers have become the focus of South Africa's crackdown on undocumented employment amid high unemployment and growing political pressure [Yeshiel Panchia/Al Jazeera]By Qaanitah Hunter Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026Johannesburg, South Africa – In the narrow lanes of Fordsburg in central Johannesburg, Junaid Mohammed* stands behind the counter of a family shop that has been in his family for decades. His father started it as a general dealer. Today, it survives on cheap Chinese imports and shrinking margins.
Junaid, who asks us to use a pseudonym, does not call it a decline. He calls it survival.