Xenophobia in South Africa: What Does it Say about Trust?

Abstract

In May 2008 South Africans made international headlines by embarking on a hitherto unprecedented campaign of violence against African migrants. This violence formed part of a wider pattern of intolerance and antagonism against African migrants in post-Apartheid South Africa. At the heart of this prejudice lies socio-economic deprivation, whilst the political context within which the attacks took place could explain its timing. Much of the work on South African xenophobia takes a citizenship approach, examining processes of nationhood, or focuses on post-Apartheid immigration policy. This paper contributes to the study of xenophobia in South Africa by analysing it in relation to social capital, which emphasises trust as crucial for social development. This article asks what xenophobia suggests about levels of trust in South Africa and argues that the events of May 2008 exposed the distrust—particularly amongst black Africans—that permeates post-Apartheid society. It starts by charting the recent development and causes of xenophobia in South Africa, its significance for trust and social capital, and finally proposes strategies for increasing trust between groups in the context of xenophobia.