As South Africa faces renewed reports of xenophobic violence, prominent entrepreneur Vusi Thembekwayo has pushed back against what he describes as a distorted global narrative portraying the country as broadly hostile to foreigners.
Speaking at the 2026 edition of The Platform Nigeria 2026, held to mark Workers’ Day, the founder and CEO of MyGrowthFund Venture Partners stressed the need to distinguish between isolated incidents and the character of an entire nation.
“Contrary to what you see in the media, South Africans are not xenophobic,” he said, while acknowledging that such sentiments do exist in parts of society.
Thembekwayo warned that underlying forces may be amplifying tensions. “I believe there is an agenda to turn us against each other,” he said. “We fuel that agenda when we feed the noise and fire.”
He cautioned against generalising the actions of a few. “I am not saying there is no xenophobia, but saying the entire nation is xenophobic is missing the point,” he added.
In recent years, foreign-owned businesses—particularly those run by migrants from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia and other African countries—have been targets during outbreaks of violence, reflecting deep-seated tensions in economically strained communities.
However, Thembekwayo argued that such incidents should not define South Africa’s broader social fabric. He pointed to the country’s diversity—over 60 million people and 11 official languages—as evidence of coexistence rather than division.
“We are one of the most diverse societies in the world, and even with that, we get along with most people,” he said.
He called for greater community-level engagement, urging citizens to “reach across the divide” and foster dialogue to rebuild trust.
“We as a people have to do better,” he said. “Dragging each other down, fighting, calling each other names—it has to stop.”
The entrepreneur also highlighted the role of institutions, including religious organisations, in promoting reconciliation and shared values.
“Let us avoid the theatre of the rest of the world, saying, ‘you see these people, they can’t get along with themselves,’” he said, urging individuals to stand for truth and unity.
