A researcher from University of the Witwatersrand has challenged the widely held perception that migrants are taking jobs from South Africans, arguing that available data does not support the claim.
The comments come amid growing anti-immigration sentiment and demonstrations across the country, with some groups calling for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.
Associate Professor Justin Visagie said while high unemployment levels have fuelled public frustration, blaming migrants risks diverting attention from the structural issues driving the country's jobs crisis.
According to Visagie, both survey data and the popularity of anti-immigration demonstrations reveal strong public concern about migration and employment. However, he said evidence from administrative tax records and labour market surveys does not indicate that foreign nationals are displacing South African workers on a significant scale.
"South Africans' concerns are very real. We have an unemployment rate of around 40% if discouraged work-seekers are included, and social attitude surveys show that as many as 70% of South Africans believe foreigners are taking local jobs," he said.
Visagie acknowledged that tensions are often most visible in the informal economy, where competition for limited opportunities is felt more directly.
The issue has featured prominently in reports from communities across the country, where residents have argued that the growth of foreign-owned businesses is reducing economic opportunities for locals.
Some South African business owners have also expressed frustration, claiming that while they are required to comply with regulations and licensing requirements, some competitors allegedly operate outside the law.
However, Dr Fikreyesus Daniel of the Ang Angga Association said the situation is more complex than it is often portrayed.
Daniel explained that many Ethiopian migrants arrive in South Africa seeking refuge from political instability, conflict and violence in their home country.
Drawing on data from Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey, which includes a migration component, Visagie estimated that foreign nationals account for approximately 18% of workers in the informal sector.
"That figure may be higher than some people would prefer for a particular sector, but it is important to remember that foreign nationals still represent a minority. In addition, many of these jobs are on the margins of the economy and often involve working poverty," he said.
Visagie added that migrants can also make positive contributions to the economy by bringing skills, expertise and investment that create employment opportunities for South Africans.
"Foreigners can come from abroad, bring skills, bring expertise and employ South Africans. That is true in both the formal and informal economy," he said.
The debate over migration and employment remains a contentious issue in South Africa, particularly as communities grapple with persistently high unemployment levels and growing economic pressures.